Massachusetts Online Lottery App Arrives After Lengthy Regulatory Odyssey

Two days shy of two years after Gov. Maura Healey signed the state budget legalizing online lottery sales, the Massachusetts Lottery went live on Monday with Mass Lottery Online.

“The launch of our online platform marks an exciting new chapter for the lottery as we continue to evolve and meet the needs of today’s players,” state Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg, the chair of the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission (MSLC), said in the Mass Lottery’s press release. “Online lottery will allow us to compete on a more level playing field in the state’s gaming marketplace and sales will help make childcare more affordable for families across Massachusetts.”

Goldberg’s last comment was a reference to the promise that profits from online sales will fund a program to support early childhood education and care.

“Since selling our first ticket in 1972, the Mass Lottery has become one of the top performing lotteries in the world thanks to our exciting portfolio of games, attractive prize payouts, innovative business and marketing strategies, and of course, our dedicated retail partners and loyal player base,” added Mass Lottery Executive Director Mark William Bracken. “In creating Mass Lottery Online, we took a similar approach that gives our players new play experiences with the same standards they have grown to expect, wherever in Massachusetts they find themselves to be.”

Those “new play experiences” now available via web or mobile app include a variety of eInstant games with price points ranging from 50 cents to $50 and the Mass 3 and Mass 4 draw games with the “Wicked Bonus” option, as well as online purchases for popular retail draw games Mega Millions, Powerball, Mass Cash, Megabucks, and Millionaire for Life.

Although the minimum age for retail lottery sales in Massachusetts is 18, for iLottery, customers must be 21 or over.

Massachusetts becomes the 18th U.S. jurisdiction with some form of official state-run online lottery play.

As projected, summertime splash

Last August, the MSLC selected Aristocrat Interactive as its iLottery vendor, agreeing to a five-year contract with up to three extensions of three years each. At the time, Bracken said he was aiming for a summer 2026 launch, and indeed that timeline was achieved.

“This is a milestone moment for Aristocrat Interactive and the Massachusetts State Lottery as we deliver the first-ever online lottery offering for Massachusetts players,” Aristocrat Interactive CEO Dylan Slaney said in a statement Monday.

Responsible gambling has been a focus for Massachusetts throughout the process from legalization to launch, and players will be notified upon registration of their options to set deposit and play limits, with monthly reminders to follow.

Mass Lottery Online is partnering with the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) on the voluntary self-exclusion program PlayBreak, which is also used by all casinos and all sports betting platforms licensed in the state.

“The Massachusetts Gaming Commission is excited to partner with the Massachusetts State Lottery to offer the PlayBreak voluntary self-exclusion program to support iLottery patrons who may need a break from the platform,” said MGC Chair Jordan Maynard in the formal release. “PlayBreak is an important tool to help players manage their gambling and add a level of friction when it is needed.” 

The MSLC has projected revenue of $70 million from online sales in the first year, increasing to $180 million in the second year and $230 million in the third.

All of which is potentially bad news for those hoping for online casino legalization in Massachusetts, as Goldberg has stated publicly that she perceives iCasino as a direct competitor that would cannibalize the revenue from iLottery.

Rep. David Muradian filed an online casino gaming bill in both 2025 and this year, but it didn’t advance much either time. Muradian intends to re-file the legislation in 2027.