The first (legal) bets in Massachusetts

Steph here. I watched sports fans, loyal Encore customers and iconic athletes place their first legal sports bets in the Boston area.

Why it matters: For sports fans and casino regulars, yesterday’s launch was the culmination of a years-long wait.

• “It’s amazing. It’s long overdue,” says Bill Dorazio Sr., a Tewksbury native who runs the Everything Encore Boston Facebook group.

The intrigue: The first players ranged from Dorazio and other Encore regulars to former New England Patriots cornerback Ty Law and Massachusetts House Speaker Ron Mariano.

💰 The bets that made history

Dorazio bet twice on the Kansas City Chiefs winning the Super Bowl.

• One was a money line bet, based solely on the outcome, and another was a point spread, a bet based on the margin of victory.

Mariano, who represents Quincy, made two $50 bets: one that the Celtics would win the NBA Finals, and another that the Bruins would take home the Stanley Cup.

State Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, the House’s budget chief, made a $50 parlay bet on both the Celtics winning the Finals and the Bruins winning the championship. The bet only pays off if both teams win.

• “In other words, he threw his money away,” Mariano quipped after Michlewitz explained the wager to me.

Angela Ruggiero, former Olympic hockey player and co-founder of Sports Innovation Lab, made a $50 bet on the Bruins winning the Stanley Cup.

Law placed a $1,000 bet on the Celtics winning the NBA Finals.

• He also put down $240 on the Chiefs winning the Super Bowl.

Then came Julian Edelman. The former Patriots wide receiver showed up to Encore last night handcuffed to his briefcase.

• He made an $11,000 bet on the Celtics winning the championship.
• When I asked him if he consulted his parents this time, he said no and looked into the cameras. “So, dad…sorry.”