I have taken my first pilgrimage to a New England sports-legal state and I am here to report, "eh."
I am not going to blast on the place I went. Let's just say they were betting on sports in there, but it was no sportsbook. I am not at some hole-the-wall either. I am at an established gaming operation. The place is no Caeser's. In fact, far from it. The place was a cigarette convention with sports gambling in the back. After you sift through the smokey rooms, you finally find the gaming sheets. There is no "big-board" and no parley cards. You can place parley bets, but you have to know what you are doing. It is very intimidating but it is getting utilized. For now, there are very few places to go. Therefore, just being operational is a draw. Soon, competition will ramp up and the East Coast will start looking more and more like the Vegas strip.
I didn't want to stay, so I bet on some NBA/NCAA/NHL futures. If I win, I am sure to return. If nothing gets sorted out in CT or MA this Summer, I will probably be in RI most Sundays in the Fall.