Massachusetts Changes Super Bowl Betting Rules

Up until Thursday, this kind of betting in Massachusetts was not legal. That has changed just in time for the Super Bowl this Sunday between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles.

The world of online gaming is exploding, particularly with prop bets, or wagers that can be placed on things that happen in and around a sporting event.

For example, there are over/under bets about the length of time it will take to sing the national anthem or how many times Taylor Swift will be shown in the Chiefs luxury box.

One of the simplest prop bets that dates back decades is the coin toss at the Super Bowl. It's a fan favorite because you really don't need to know anything about football to place the bet. Also, the odds are at a true 50/50 without an edge to the house.

Changed in Time for the Super Bowl

Up until Thursday, prop bets like the Super Bowl coin toss were not allowed to be made in Massachusetts; however, the state's gaming commission had a change of heart.

According to the State House News Service, the commissioner said that he had done a lot of research on the topic to make sure that the coin toss had betting integrity.

"There are other prop bets, like the Gatorade color over the coach, the national anthem length, and we, of course, decided we did not want to go that far," Commissioner Brad Hill said. "But I think the coin toss is something that we should be revisiting."

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Legal Bets on Coin Tosses in Massachusetts

The approval gives operators the ability to let bettors place wagers on the result of the Super Bowl coin flip (heads or tails), the coin toss winner (the Eagles or Chiefs), whether or not the winner of the coin toss will win the game, and whether the visiting team correctly calls the coin toss.