Local Casinos In Boston, Massachusetts
Boston does not have a casino located within its city limits, but players do not have to travel far to find slots, table games, poker, sports betting, and resort amenities. Encore Boston Harbor sits just across the Mystic River in Everett, while Plainridge Park Casino offers a smaller slots, racing, and sportsbook experience south of the city.
This guide covers the best local MA casinos near Bean Town, including their addresses, gaming options, amenities and minimum age requirements. We also compare nearby out-of-state casinos in Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Connecticut, explain why Boston does not currently have a casino of its own and review the online casino options available to Massachusetts players.
Casinos In Boston
Encore Boston Harbor
- Address: 1 Broadway, Everett, MA 02149
Encore Boston Harbor is the closest casino to downtown and the region’s only full-service resort casino. Its gaming floor is open 24 hours a day and covers more than 200,000 square feet. Players can find slot machines, blackjack, roulette, craps, baccarat, poker and other table games. The property also operates an in-person sportsbook with more than 70 televisions and a large video wall.
Amenities include:
- Luxury hotel rooms and suites
- Slot machines and traditional table games
- A dedicated poker room
- Retail sportsbook
- Fine-dining and casual restaurants
- Bars, lounges and nightclub entertainment
- Full-service spa and salon
- Luxury retail shops
- Harborwalk and waterfront views
- Free valet and self-parking
- Local shuttles and a water shuttle
- Wynn Rewards loyalty program
Encore is the best nearby option for visitors seeking a complete Las Vegas-style resort experience. It is located just across the Mystic River and provides several transportation options from the city
Casinos Near Boston
Plainridge Park Casino
- Address: 301 Washington Street, Plainville, MA 02762
Plainridge Park Casino is roughly a 40-minute drive from Boston under normal traffic conditions. It is classified as a slots parlor rather than a full resort casino, meaning its gaming selection focuses on electronic machines instead of live dealer table games. The casino offers up to 1,250 slots, video poker, and electronic versions of games such as blackjack.
Amenities include:
- More than 900 operating slot and video gaming machines
- Video poker and electronic table games
- Retail sportsbook
- Live harness racing
- Simulcast horse-race wagering
- Restaurants and quick-service dining
- Sports bar and entertainment lounge
- Live local and regional entertainment
- Seasonal events and promotions
- Free on-site parking
- PENN Play rewards program
Plainridge Park does not currently offer live blackjack, roulette, craps, or poker tables. It is best suited to players interested in slots, sports betting and horse racing rather than a full-service casino resort.
What Is the Minimum Age to Gamble at Massachusetts Casinos?
The minimum age to gamble at a Massachusetts casino is **21 years old**. This restriction applies to Encore Boston Harbor, MGM Springfield and Plainridge Park Casino, including slot machines, table games, electronic games and retail sports betting.
Massachusetts law prohibits anyone under 21 from placing wagers, playing casino games or collecting gambling winnings at a licensed gaming establishment. Visitors should expect casino staff to request a valid government-issued photo ID before allowing access to age-restricted gaming areas.
Guests younger than 21 may still be permitted to visit certain restaurants, hotels, shops and entertainment areas at full-service casino resorts. However, they cannot enter or remain on the gaming floor. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission also states that children under 16 cannot be left unattended anywhere on casino property.
Read our OnlineMassachusettsCasinos guide to gambling laws for more details on minimum ages and what is allowed in the state.
Nearby Out-of-State Casinos
Several casinos in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire are within a two-hour drive of Boston. Rhode Island and Connecticut have full-service commercial or tribal resort casinos, while New Hampshire’s venues operate under the state’s charitable gaming system.
Why Are There No Casinos Inside City Limits?
Boston does not prohibit casinos outright. The city lacks a casino because Massachusetts requires a proposed gaming property to secure local approval, and voters rejected the major casino plan considered for the city.
Under the Massachusetts Expanded Gaming Act, a casino developer must negotiate a host community agreement and receive approval through a local referendum before the Massachusetts Gaming Commission can award a license for that location.
In 2013, Suffolk Downs proposed a large resort casino spanning property on the east side and neighboring Revere. Plans called for casino gaming, hotels, restaurants, entertainment venues, and other resort amenities. However, voters rejected the casino proposal by approximately 56% to 44%, preventing the project from moving forward.
The developers later revised the proposal so the casino would be located entirely in Revere, but the Massachusetts Gaming Commission ultimately selected Wynn’s proposal in Everett for the resort-casino license. That property became Encore Boston Harbor.
Massachusetts also limits the number and geographic distribution of casino licenses. Because the regional license is already held by Encore Boston Harbor, another full-scale casino cannot simply open in the city without a change in state law, a new licensing opportunity and local voter approval.
Therefore, locals have a major casino only a few miles away in Everett, but no gaming property located within the city itself. The absence of a casino is primarily the result of the failed Suffolk Downs referendum and the state’s limited regional licensing structure, not a blanket citywide ban on casino gambling.
Our Favorite Local Casino and Why
Our favorite casino is Encore Boston Harbor. Located just outside the city in Everett, Encore provides the most complete casino experience in the area and is significantly closer than the major resort casinos in Connecticut.
The property stands out because it combines a large gaming floor with the amenities expected from a luxury resort. Players can choose from slot machines, blackjack, roulette, craps, baccarat, poker, and retail sports betting without needing to travel far from downtown. The casino is also open 24 hours a day, making it convenient for both local players and visitors with limited time in the city.
We also prefer Encore because there is plenty to do away from the gaming floor. The resort offers upscale hotel rooms, waterfront views, restaurants, bars, shops, and a full-service spa. Free parking and transportation options make the property relatively easy to reach, although traffic around Everett can affect travel times.
Encore Boston Harbor will not be the best choice for every player. Plainridge Park may appeal more to visitors interested primarily in slots or horse racing, while Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun offer a larger destination-resort experience. However, Encore is our top local choice because it delivers live table games, poker, sports betting, and premium amenities within a few miles of Bean Town.
Is a Future Nearby Casino a Realistic Possibility?
A new full-service casino near Boston is possible, but not especially realistic under the current licensing system. Massachusetts law allows only one Category 1 resort-casino license in each designated region. Greater Boston is part of Region A, and that license was awarded to Encore Boston Harbor in 2014. Encore opened in Everett in 2019.
Because Region A already has a licensed resort casino, another developer cannot simply propose a competing property in Boston, Cambridge, Revere or another nearby community. State lawmakers would first need to amend the Expanded Gaming Act, create an additional license or otherwise change the regional restrictions. Any proposed host city would also need to approve the project locally.
A smaller gaming venue is more plausible. In 2026, Massachusetts lawmakers considered allowing historical horse racing machines at eligible former racetrack properties, including Suffolk Downs in East Boston. These terminals resemble slot machines but determine outcomes using previously run horse races. Even if approved, an HHR facility would not necessarily include traditional casino tables, poker or the full resort amenities found at Encore.
The unused Region C resort-casino license in southeastern Massachusetts could also eventually produce another casino within the state. However, that region covers areas such as Bristol, Plymouth, Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket counties, so a future property would not be located in the city.
For now, Encore Boston Harbor is likely to remain the only full-scale casino serving the region. A new nearby casino would require significant legislative changes, local political support, and approval from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, making expansion possible over the long term but unlikely in the immediate future.
Are There Online Casinos in Boston?
Massachusetts does not currently license online casinos, so players cannot use a locally regulated platform for real-money slots, blackjack, roulette, baccarat or live dealer games. The state does permit online sports betting through approved operators, but casino gaming remains limited to retail properties such as Encore Boston Harbor, MGM Springfield and Plainridge Park Casino.
Despite the absence of a state-regulated market, there are offshore online casinos that accept players from Massachusetts. These sites can offer a broader selection of games than local retail casinos, including online slots, progressive jackpots, video poker, specialty games, and live dealer tables that are accessible from a computer or mobile device.
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