Sports Betting Now Legal in New Hampshire, Set for 2020 Launch

New Hampshire is the 17th state to have passed a sports betting bill.

It happened a month ago, in June, with the bill making its way to Governor Chris Sununu.

A month later, New Hampshire is now the sixth state to have its sports betting bill signed into law.

It happened on Friday, July 12th, adding yet another state to the growing list.

There is, however, a catch.

While everything is set and the most difficult part is already over, the launch won’t happen before 2020.

New Hampshire will award a number of licenses, both in-person and online sportsbooks.

Until that happens, New Hampshire residents won’t be able to bet within the state’s lines.

What Does New Hampshire’s Sports Betting Law Say?

New Hampshire’s legislation on sports betting is similar to other states’ in a number of topics.

It does, however, have some unique aspects that are worth mentioning.

Both in-person and online mobile betting are allowed.

The New Hampshire Lottery will be the one in charge of overseeing sports betting in the state.

For this purpose, a new Division of Sports Wagering will be established within the NH Lottery.

The Lottery will hand a total of 15 licenses to operators after a bidding process.

Of the 15 total licenses, ten will be destined to retail operators and five to online operators.

The terms of each license will be negotiated individually.

Betting on in-state college games won’t be allowed.

Unlike other states, where the minimum age of 21 has been the norm, New Hampshire’s betting age is set at 18 years old.

Remote registration online is allowed, meaning it won’t be necessary to fill out the form in person.

In-play betting is allowed, but it can only be done online.

Which Benefits Does Sports Betting Bring to New Hampshire?

Sports betting has always shown plenty of potential as a market.

This market existed even after it was ruled illegal.

Government, however, has realized that legalization could turn sports betting into a great source of revenue.

This is also the case for New Hampshire, as early predictions already point out.

Governor Chris Sununu stated that $100 million originated from the NH Lottery went to schools.

The early prediction for sports betting, according to the bill itself, is of at least $11.25 million.

Governor Sununu believes that this number will be relatively easy to reach.

Logic dictates that this number will likely be even better for the second year.

Additionally, it also creates plenty of job opportunities as well.

Bringing the sports betting out of the betting market and into legality turned out to be a good move.

Another point is related to mobile and online betting.

New Hampshire will likely draw in bettors from nearby states where sports betting isn’t legal.

These bets will also lead to an increase in revenue for the state.

Vermont and Massachusetts have yet to legalize sports betting in the respective states.

This could lead to a temporary influx of bettors.