Pete Rose will be able to legally bet on the Cincinnati Reds inside The Great American Ballpark Thursday when the Reds play host to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Meanwhile, gambling returns to Fenway Park this season after a century-long absence when the Red Sox open up their 2023 season at home against the Baltimore Orioles. For the first time since 1968, all MLB teams will commence their season on the same day.

In 2023, 14 of 30 MLB stadiums are now in states or provinces where online wagering is allowed. Progressive Field in Cleveland, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, The Great American Ballpark, and Fenway Park join the list this season. Their home states of Ohio, Maryland, and Massachusetts have all gone online since the end of the 2022 World Series. 

Legal Ohio sports betting launched on New Year's Day. Massachusetts began sports betting on January 31 at three retail sportsbooks. Massachusetts betting apps launched with six books on March 10, less than three weeks before Opening Day. Online betting began in Maryland last November. 

When the Red Sox and Reds begin the 2023 season Thursday at home, patrons inside each ballpark over 21 will be able to engage in live MLB betting using their favorite site or betting app. They will also be able to back the Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers or any other team of their choice while watching their hometown nine. 

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The same will hold for fans of legal age watching the Orioles in Baltimore and Cleveland Guardians whenever they are at home. BetMGM Sportsbook is now the official betting partner of the Red Sox and the book’s logo will be emblazoned on the Green Monster. No word if they plan to rename Fenway Park “The Lion’s Den”. The Guardians, meanwhile, have teamed up with bet365. The Orioles have a long-term betting partnership with SuperBook. 

Where Can You Bet On Baseball In 2023?

Here is a list of the 14 MLB ballparks in states that allow online sports betting as of Opening Day 2023, which is Thursday, March 30. Teams are listed alphabetically by name, along with their home stadium, state or Canadian province, and their MLB betting odds to win the 2023 World Series at BetMGM.

No more states are expected to add online sports betting this year. Legislation to permit betting is in various stages of progress in Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Texas, and Georgia. 

It is possible that before Opening Day 2024, five more stadiums could be added to this list. They would be: Truist Field (Atlanta Braves), Minute Maid Park (Houston Astros), Globe Life Field (Texas Rangers), Kauffman Stadium (Kansas City Royals), and Busch Stadium (St. Louis Cardinals). 

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Pete Rose Helped To Launch Betting In Ohio 

The arrival of betting at The Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati may be one of the more ironic moments in recent baseball history. Reds Manager Pete Rose was banned from baseball in 1989 after betting on his team. Nicknamed “Charlie Hustle” as a player, Rose rapped an MLB-record 4,256 hits, was a 17-time All-Star and won World Series rings with the Reds and Phillies. 

Rose remains ineligible for the Hall of Fame. That hasn’t stopped Rose and others from a decades-long push for his enshrinement. Nor has it kept him away from the betting world. Rose placed a ceremonial first bet on the Reds to win the 2023 World Series at the Hard Rock Casino when sports betting went live in Ohio on January 1. 

Rose, 81, wrote to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred last year and asked to have his ban lifted so that he could enter the Hall of Fame. That bid was rejected.

Betting Prevalent At Ballparks In The Past 

This won’t be the first time fans bet live during baseball games in the Hub. When America’s Favorite Ballpark opened in 1912, seats in right field were notorious for those looking to place action with local bookies before or during the game. Boston, home to both the Red Sox and Braves at the time, was soon “regarded as the biggest center of baseball gambling.”

On June 16, 1917, about 300 “gamblers” rushed the field during a game against the Chicago White Sox. The Red Sox had lost 8 of 11 but a young, burly left-handed pitcher named Babe Ruth was expected to turn things around for them. Boston trailed as it began to rain in the fifth inning. The fans wanted the game to be called, so their bets would be nullified, and the riot began. 

After the melee on the field, the game eventually resumed after the skies cleared. The Red Sox lost. 

The violence resulted in a crackdown on in-game betting activities but it took the 1919 Sox Scandal to completely remove betting’s overt presence from all major league parks.

Things should be a bit more subdued this time around. 

Because retail sports betting in Massachusetts is limited to existing casino and racing sites, there will be no kiosks available at any of the stadiums, ballparks, or arenas in the Commonwealth. Legal betting will be limited to those using their online devices. 

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