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At Mashpee bar, patrons welcome legal, app-based sports betting

Mobile sports betting becomes legal in Massachusetts tomorrow. Bettors age 21 or older can download one of several apps and place wagers right from a phone.

Seated at the bar at Dino’s Sports Bar in Mashpee, Dave Santamauro said he plans to try it, but he'll keep the dollar value of his bets low.

And the Mashpee resident said having money riding on a game changes how you watch it.

“Oh, it's stressful," he said. "I get very neurotic about things, particularly when I have money on the line. Which is why I probably shouldn't gamble. But I do.”

More than 20 televisions at Dino’s show games from all over the country via satellite, but some customers weren’t aware that they could legally bet from their phones starting Friday.

“Wow,” said Carter Hunt of Falmouth, who was eating at the bar with a friend, an Eagles fan from Philadelphia.

“You know, it's come of age, and everybody's getting involved,” he said. “So I suppose as long as there's some limits to what you can do, it's going to work.”

After lawmakers approved sports betting last year, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission wrote regulations to implement the law. Athletic wagering at casinos started in January, and mobile betting is the next step.

The ease of legal wagering by phone may draw interest from people who shied away from sports betting before, bar owner Dino Mitrokostas said.

“A lot of people were afraid to get involved with bookies … so they wouldn't place their bets,” he said. “Now, these people have the opportunity to place a bet and feel safe, that their money’s safe, [and] it's regulated. And it'll create a whole new interest in sports, because there's nothing like watching a game when you have money on it.”

Betting is allowed on most professional sports and events, such as the Oscars.

Bettors do have to adhere to a variety of rules. For example, betting on in-state college teams is allowed only during tournaments, and betting on high school or youth sports remains illegal.

Wagering can be linked to a bank account. To reduce the risk that people will rack up debt, credit cards are not allowed.

The law requires apps to display the phone number and website for the state’s problem gambling helpline.

In addition, people who want to avoid gambling can enroll in a voluntary self-exclusion program that blocks them from betting for a specified period of time.

Jennette Barnes is a reporter and producer. Named a Master Reporter by the New England Society of News Editors, she brings more than 20 years of news experience to CAI.