Is Sports Betting Legal in New Hampshire?

New Hampshire is going to be a very interesting state to watch when it comes to legalized sports betting. The Granite State doesn’t have casinos and a push for them failed in 2017. Most states are going to allow external operators or horse tracks run their sportsbooks. If a sports betting measure were to pass in New Hampshire, it looks like the only option would be to go through the lottery.

That wouldn’t be unprecedented by any means. The Delaware Lottery, for example, has run its state sports betting, first with parlay tickets and now with single-game wagering and the works. New Hampshire could look at that as a possible framework, as well as the province of Ontario, which runs its Proline parlay wagering through the lottery. Maybe single-game betting won’t make its way to New Hampshire right away, but the parlay style is tried and true through the lottery and that may be the best way to sell it to the state representatives and to voters.

New Hampshire also ranks 41st in population, so the potential economic windfall wouldn’t be all that high. The state hasn’t commissioned a study yet, but the findings will probably be exactly that, which is why New England states like Vermont and Maine aren’t really moving all that quickly.

At least implementation through the lottery would be pretty easy. There wouldn’t be any negotiation with third-party operators. There would be talks about tax rates and what would be allowed and what wouldn’t, but it would be rather painless. If New Hampshire wants it, that is.

 

Recent News Stories About Betting

It would seem that some in New Hampshire want it. Quotes about sports betting from Governor Chris Sununu and some state representatives were in the Concord Monitor back on May 16.

The editorial staff of the Union Leader talked about some of the potential challenges facing a state that has opposed gambling at most every turn.

Kevin Landrigan of the Union Leader looked at New Hampshire’s legalized wagering situation and that of some of the nearby states the day after PASPA was struck down.

 

Forecast

New Hampshire won’t be in a rush to legalize sports betting. If it does happen, it will likely be through the lottery, which will create a vastly different dynamic than what we see in most other states. Ultimately, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Granite State opted out of legalized sports betting. The loss of revenue and the cost of setting up and operating may not create enough of a +EV situation for the state to move forward.

 

Neighboring States

Maine

Massachusetts

Vermont