Sports Wagering Legalization Approved in New Hampshire
Let's Get This Bet On! 🤟 New Hampshire just joined the sports betting game, becoming the sixth state this year to jump on the bandwagon. The governor, Chris Sununu, signed off on a bill that allows both statewide mobile sports betting and physical sports betting locations. But here's the catch: wagers on New Hampshire colleges are off the table. Sports betting is predicted to generate $7.5 million for educational programs in 2021, climbing up to a whopping $13.5 million by 2023, according to the Associated Press.
Sununu, who practically commanded the state's General Court to green light sports betting, can't wait to place the first bet, though he's keeping tight-lipped about what he'll punt on and when. "The only rule is, I want to place the first bet," he told the AP.
The Granite State will limit the number of sports betting licenses to 10 for physical locations and five for mobile apps. Stand-alone online sportsbooks will be legal, so daily fantasy and sports betting heavyweights DraftKings and FanDuel are probably itching to throw their hats in the ring.
The New Hampshire Lottery will oversee sports betting, with the law allowing for the lottery to launch some sports betting games of its own. The state doesn't have any casinos, but sports lounges will be legal and can be placed within existing businesses like bars or resort hotels. Individual municipalities have the authority to decide whether they want a sports lounge within their borders.
No specific date for the launch has been set, but it's safe to say that the launch won't happen before 2020 at the earliest. The lottery needs to create regulations, prospective licensees have to go through a bidding process, and physical venues must be built and staff trained.
Montana, Iowa, Indiana, Tennessee, and Illinois legalized earlier this year. Illinois joins New Hampshire as the second New England state to legalize sports betting - Rhode Island did so in June 2018 and its two sportsbook brick-and-mortar locations started taking bets after Thanksgiving last year. Rhode Island aims to launch mobile sports betting by the start of the football season.
Since the Supreme Court scrapped the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in May 2018, 14 states plus the District of Columbia have legalized or launched sports betting. There's also sports betting available at two tribal locations in New Mexico, and the Oregon Lottery is gearing up to introduce a sports betting game in the fall.
It looks like North Carolina could be the next state to legalize sports betting. However, the current bill on the House floor only allows sports betting at two tribal locations. North Carolina actually legalized online sports betting in 2023 with the passing of House Bill 347, which Governor Roy Cooper signed into law in June of that year. Online sportsbooks launched on March 11, 2024. The law allows for both retail and online sports betting, with authorized operators including the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Catawba Indian Nation. But there's much talk about increasing the tax rate on sports betting from 18% to 36%, which is facing resistance from sportsbook operators and tax reform groups.
- With the new sports betting law, New Hampshire is expected to generate $7.5 million for educational programs in 2021, potentially rising to $13.5 million by 2023.
- Chris Sununu, the governor of New Hampshire, has shown an interest in sports betting, revealing his intention to place the first bet once the sports betting game commences.
- In the state, daily fantasy and sports betting heavyweights like DraftKings and FanDuel are anticipated to participate in the sports betting market, given the legalization of stand-alone online sportsbooks.
- The introduction of sports betting in New Hampshire is not limited to mobile and physical sports betting locations; the New Hampshire Lottery is also set to launch its own sports betting games.
