New Hampshire is the latest US state to launch sports betting operations.
On 30 December, the New Hampshire Lottery and its partner DraftKings officially launched online and mobile sports betting operations in the Granite State.
With the launch of sports betting in New Hampshire, the Granite State became the sixth state to launch sports wagering in 2019.
Governor Chris Sununu placed the state’s ceremonial first legal sports bet on the New England Patriots to win the Super Bowl at a licensed restaurant in Manchester alongside DraftKings co-founder and chief revenue officer, Matt Kalish, and former NFL star Rob Ninkovich.
This news comes after DraftKings was awarded a contract to offer sports betting in New Hampshire in November.
DraftKings in New Hampshire
At the end of November in 2019, DraftKings was awarded a sports betting contract to offer sports betting after being selected through a competitive bidding process.
Under the agreement with the state lottery, New Hampshire will receive 50% of the operator’s sports betting revenue. This will help support the Lottery’s mission to generate funds for education in the Granite State.
“Sports betting is the right bet for New Hampshire,” said Governor Chris Sununu. “We moved fast to get this done by partnering with a world-class company to provide a first-rate customer service experience and the state is poised to dominate the market. The launch of sports betting will also benefit our education system – a win for our kids.”
Outside of New Hampshire, DraftKings’ online sportsbook is available in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Indiana. The operator also offers land-based sports betting at casinos in New York and in Mississippi.
Sports betting in New Hampshire
In July, New Hampshire became the second New England state to legalize sports betting. Land-based, online and mobile sports betting is legal under the state’s law. The law allows the New Hampshire Lottery to award licenses to 10 land-based venues and five online and mobile sportsbooks. Although the legislation allows for multiple operators to serve the state, it appears that DraftKings will serve as New Hampshire’s sole sports betting operator.
So far, six cities have approved land-based sports wagering. During the fall elections, the cities of Berlin, Claremont, Franklin, Laconia, Manchester and Somersworth, voted in favour of land-based sports betting. New Hampshire towns will get the final say on land-based sports betting during Town Meeting warrants in spring 2020.
Sports betting in New Hampshire will be overseen by a new unit within the state lottery, the Division of Sports Wagering. Bettors in the Granite State must be 18 years old and can create online accounts remotely from anywhere within state lines. The bill also permits in-play sports betting via online platforms only.
However, New Hampshire’s betting law prohibits wagering on collegiate events that take place within state lines.
