New Hampshire joined the fraternity of sports betting states in January of 2020. Pushed by Gov. Chris Sununu, the Granite State became a single sports betting operator state at the start of the calendar year. DraftKings was the first online app to do business in the state, which expanded its market in 2021 with the passing of HB 330. This bill removed a limit of 10 physical sportsbook locations that was in original legislation.
Sports betting joins online horse betting, iLottery, and daily fantasy sports as the modes of online gambling permitted in the state.
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Industry titan DraftKings became the lone sportsbook app operator in the state of New Hampshire in January of 2020.
New Hampshire residents and visitors are able to wager on single contests or parlays through the DK sports betting app. In addition, bettors have the ability to try out some of sports betting’s more recent innovations, like extensive live betting and the early cash out option.
The New Hampshire Lottery offers lottery play over the internet via the site itself. Although there is no dedicated app for Android and iOS users, anyone can access the games through their web browsers.
In other words, the New Hampshire iLottery is playable through Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or any other method that players use to access the internet. New Hampshire inhabitants can play virtual scratchers, or they can purchase tickets for draw games like Mega Millions and Powerball.
Since New Hampshire is not home to any casino properties, the planned retail sportsbooks will have to be standalone operations. So far, voters in five cities have approved placement of sports betting operations inside their city limits.
The denizens of these towns can expect rooms adorned with high-definition television screens, LED video walls, and luxurious seating. Most retail sportsbooks are designed to be comfortable places to spend a few hours, with food and beverage service available day and night.
New Hampshire is one of several states that has an actual law on the books to authorize daily fantasy sports (DFS). According to the 2017 law, DFS companies must provide consumer protections, but the game itself is defined as a skill contest.
So, every major DFS provider offers its services to New Hampshire inhabitants. Companies like DraftKings, FanDuel, and Yahoo! accept play from the Granite State every day of the week.
New Hampshire does not have any kind of statute to address online casino play in the state. So, there are no confirmed operators that offer casino play to residents and visitors.
The only possible exception is Chumba Casino. Chumba qualifies as a sweepstakes contest, and since it is possible to receive redeemable cash at Chumba without purchase, the site can offer casino action to New Hampshire inhabitants.
Similar to the situation with online casinos, there is no black-and-white legal opinion about online poker in New Hampshire. Any sites that offer online poker in the Granite State are offshore operators, and players need to exercise extreme caution with them.
The only exception to this caveat is Global Poker. Like its sister site Chumba Casino, Global Poker offers play to New Hampshire denizens through a unique sweepstakes model. So, it is possible to find some poker action there.
New Hampshire has had lottery, daily fantasy sports, and online horse racing in the state for a few years. However, the most recent addition to the New Hampshire gambling landscape is HB 480-FN, which legalized both retail and online sports betting in the Granite State.
Gov. Chris Sununu signed the bill into law on July 12, 2019. The text of the bill allows for up to 10 retail sportsbook locations and 5 online sportsbook sites.
Here are some of the other relevant details from the law:
The law also creates a new department within the New Hampshire Lottery Commission. The Division of Sports Wagering oversees all sports betting activities in the state.
Interestingly, there is no prescribed tax rate within the text of the bill. Instead, the bill mandates that the commission select operators – in part – according to the highest suggested rate.
Finally, HB 480-FN creates a new Council on Problem Gambling to serve the state. Though its annual $250,000 budget is not overly robust, the creation and existence of the agency will surely assist those in the state suffering from problem gambling.
Yes. Anyone over the age of 18 and inside the state can bet on sports online in New Hampshire.
Almost any sport is available for wagering in the state. In particular, players can bet on all major professional sports leagues.
So, there are possibilities for NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL games. Fans of soccer, tennis, golf, cricket, and rugby also have numerous options.
The only major exception is on instate collegiate athletics. New Hampshire law does not allow for wagering on collegiate sporting events that either involve New Hampshire colleges or take place inside state lines.
No. It is not required that players be New Hampshire residents in order to bet on New Hampshire sportsbooks.
However, it is required that bettors be physically located inside the state to wager. Online sportsbooks employ geolocation software to determine the player’s location and block any player outside the borders of the state.
There is no greater place to find betting flexibility than in the modern NH online sportsbook. Players can bet in almost any way imaginable. Types of betting online include:
Live betting, in particular, expands the possibilities for betting to a wider array of options on each and every contest. The granularity that current technology allows means that hundreds of different wagers on a single game – down to the outcome of individual plays – are possible.
No. Offshore sites operate beyond the scope of New Hampshire or US law. So, if there was any kind of dispute between a US player and an offshore sportsbook, the player could find themselves without any sort of legal recourse.
With so many sportsbooks set to launch in New Hampshire, there’s no reason not to do business with sites that are based in the US.
They’re in a sort of grey area, legally. New Hampshire law does not specifically address either one as being either allowed or prohibited.
On top of that, since New Hampshire has not explicitly provided for these types of sites, the ones that pop up are undoubtedly offshore outfits. As mentioned above, offshore sites bear a layer of risk that is not worth undertaking.
Online sportsbooks tend to be available in either browser versions or mobile apps.
Browser versions are sites that are designed to work with any common web browser. So, the site will automatically detect whether you are visiting through Chrome, Safari, or some other type of web browser. Then, the site will optimize so it functions as best it can in each particular browser.
Mobile apps are specifically designed to function with the operating system on specific devices. So, Apple phones and devices use the iOS platform, while Android phones (Google, Samsung, etc.) use their own.
Downloading an iPhone / iPad app is as simple as visiting the App Store. The sportsbook apps should be available with a quick search. Please make sure to confirm that the app you choose is specific to New Hampshire, however, as various states might have their own versions.
Android users need to set their phones to allow installations from other sources, as Google does not allow gambling apps to reside in the Google Play Store.
However, once set, the user needs only to visit the sportsbook site through their web browser. The site will automatically detect that the player is using an Android phone and will prompt them with the file to download.
Sportsbooks maintain several different methods that allow players to place money into their accounts. For most players, there will be at least one mode of transfer that will work for their financial situation. Even those who primarily deal in cash will find some viable options.
Players in New Hampshire are likely to find some of the following choices for moving money into their accounts:
With any method at each sportsbook, there is the possibility that a fee may attach. Make sure to check both your sportsbook of choice and your financial institution before committing to a particular deposit option.
Depending on which operators open retail locations, there may also be opportunities to deposit directly into an account there. We will keep bettors informed if any of those possibilities develop.
New Hampshire sports bettors might be forgiven for wondering why it’s important to wait for regulated sportsbooks to launch. After all, there are already offshore options available, and in a global economy, it doesn’t really matter where the dollars go.
However, New Hampshire players should choose to play regulated sites for one simple reason: peace of mind. There are so many variables and unknowns that go with playing offshore, and it’s impossible to be fully at ease with sending money out of the country.
For one thing, offshore books may only offer banking options that are unknown or unfamiliar to American sports bettors. Giving private financial information to a strange source is not a thought that inspires confidence.
Offshore sites also operate without needing to comply with New Hampshire or US gambling laws. There is nothing to stop them from enacting arcane or prejudicial rules in their business dealings.
Finally, an offshore site is also not subject to the US legal system. So, in the case of any legal disputes, which could include outright theft on the part of the sportsbook, an American player could find themselves without any suitable mode of pursuing the wrongdoers. At best, they would have to rely upon the judgment and enforcement of a murky governing body with unclear provenance.
Legal sportsbooks will be open in New Hampshire before long. It’s just not worth the risk to play in an unregulated site.
According to New Hampshire law, there can be up to 10 retail sportsbooks in the state. However, determining where those 10 locations are is a bit of a challenge.
Each individual town must vote to accept a sportsbook within its borders in order to grant a license there. For instance, in the most recent election, Concord, Dover, Nashua, and Rochester each rejected the ballot initiative to place a book there.
So, for right now, there are only five cities that have given the green light to sportsbook expansion in New Hampshire. They are:
Expect to see sportsbooks popping up in these towns sometime in late spring or early summer of 2020.
With any type of gambling, some players will take things too far. Unfortunately, problem gambling exists everywhere gambling expands, and affects those in all walks of life.
New Hampshire’s response to problem gambling has been more subdued than in other states. Simply put, New Hampshire has a small amount of available resources that can go to address the problem.
However, the same state law that has legalized sports betting in the Granite State has also provided for a Council on Problem Gambling. The law decrees that the agency will employ several staff members and oversee a $250,000 budget.
The Council is charged with discovering opportunities for education, outreach, and treatment for problem gamblers and their families. Sports betting tends to expand a state’s gambling profile, so this implementation is a wise decision from New Hampshire lawmakers.
