Sports Betting in New Hampshire
New Hampshire online sports betting hasn't been legal for long in comparison with some other states. Wagering on sports became legal in New Hampshire on July 12, 2019. That was when bill NH HB 480 was signed into state law by Governor Chris Sununu. After Rhode Island, New Hampshire became the second state in the New England area to legalize wagering on sports.
The state legalized retail and online sportsbooks at the same time. There are currently no concrete plans to build retail sportsbooks in the state even though 10 towns have voted to make that possible. However, the DraftKings online sportsbook is up and running in the Granite State, and more could launch in the coming months and years.
New Hampshire is unlike other states that have legalized gambling, as it does not have a pre-set tax on sports wagers. Instead, it has entered into a revenue-sharing deal with DraftKings that gives the state 51% of its sports betting revenue.
Per the national per capita average of sports wagering, New Hampshire looks to add a significant amount to the state government coffers. There are estimates that the state will initially have an annual handle of just over $200 million from sports betting. That would bring in $14 million in revenue and $7 million in taxes.
New Hampshire Online Sports Betting Rules
The two main rules you need to be aware of concerning sports betting in New Hampshire are as follows:
- The minimum legal age for sports betting in New Hampshire is 21.
- You can only bet with a New Hampshire sportsbook when you are within state borders. If you travel out of state, you can't bet with an online sportsbook that is based in NH.
New Hampshire Online Sports Betting Opportunities
When you bet online, you have no lack of sports betting options. You can bet on all of the major sports leagues such as the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, and all of the major soccer leagues from around the world. There are also tennis, golf, MMA, and many other sports that you can wager on.
As well as having plenty of choices about which sports to bet on, you also have a variety of bet types. Whilst DraftKings is the only online sportsbook currently operating in the state of New Hampshire, you will still be able to find all of the following bets:
- Spreads
- Moneylines
- Totals
- Proposition Bets
- Futures
- Parlays
- Live Betting
DraftKings New Hampshire Online Sportsbook
As mentioned earlier, New Hampshire legalized sports wagering in 2019. Shortly after, the State Lottery board invited mobile operators to bid on what they could offer in the way of online and land-based sportsbooks. They choose to take the bid from the well-known DFS and online sportsbook site of DraftKings. This is currently the only mobile sportsbook operator in the Granite State.
The New Hampshire Lottery Commission had the choice of up to five mobile operators. However, it went with DraftKings because it agreed to pay the state 51% of its sports betting revenue. The DraftKings sportsbook and New Hampshire online sports betting are therefore synonymous terms right now.
This deal was great for DraftKings as well as the state because it gave the sportsbook yet another income stream. DraftKings now has online sportsbooks operating in Iowa, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. It will no doubt add even more states to its growing family in the future.
The DraftKings sportsbook application has been legal to download and use in New Hampshire since December 2019.
New Hampshire Land-Based Sportsbooks
There has been a lot of talk about land-based sportsbooks opening in New Hampshire ever since sports betting was first made legal in the state. However, this hasn't yet happened. Horse racing used to take place at Rockingham Park, but live racing ceased in 2010, and simulcast racing similarly ended there in 2016.
In March of 2020, 15 towns in New Hampshire had their residents vote on whether or not they would like to allow a licensed sportsbook. Of those 15 towns, only 10 voted in favor of the idea.
The number of 10 was relevant because the state law of New Hampshire now allows for 10 land-based sportsbooks. The towns that voted to allow a retail sportsbook were:
- Belmont
- Derry
- Hampton
- Hinsdale
- Hudson
- Newmarket
- Pelham
- Rollinsford
- Salem
- Seabrook
Another Golden Opportunity for DraftKings?
With their exclusive contract with New Hampshire, DraftKings can construct a retail sportsbook in any of these towns. However, the company is still very much in the early planning stages of having a land-based sportsbook in the Granite State.
DraftKings have retail sportsbooks in other states such as New Jersey and Pennsylvania, but they are associated with land-based casinos or racetracks, which New Hampshire does not have.
If you want to travel to a land-based sportsbook as a New Hampshire resident, the closest options are:
- Atlantic City, NJ
- Lincoln, RI
- Philadelphia
- Schenectady, NY
New Hampshire Online Sports Betting Sites
Although there is currently only one NH online sportsbook in operation, that situation will probably change in the future. It is therefore a good idea to know what to look for when picking a sportsbook to play at. When we are conducting our own reviews, we look at several main areas, as follows:
Market Selection
The only reason to join an online sportsbook is to make bets on sporting events. For that reason, the first thing we look at is the range of sports that are covered by the sportsbook in question.
If you are someone who likes to bet on a particular sport, you certainly need to check that it is available. If you prefer a wide range of sports to choose from, check to see what your choices are before signing up.
Betting Lines
The next thing we look at are the betting lines. These are the odds offered for the events covered by the sportsbook. They will not differ much from place to place, but it is always a good idea to shop around.
New Player Bonuses
Online sportsbooks all want your business, so each will offer some kind of bonus to attract your attention. This could be referred to as a new player bonus, a welcome bonus, or a signup bonus. Almost all of them tend to work in very similar ways. The bonus will be given to new players who sign up for the first time or make a first deposit.
A bonus will usually match your first deposit up to a certain maximum amount. For example, you may see a new player bonus of 100% up to $400. If you make a deposit of $300, you would get a bonus of $300. If you make a deposit of $400 or more, your bonus would be capped at $400.
Most bonuses will require you to meet certain wagering requirements before you can withdraw them.
For example, a new player bonus offers you 100% up to $400 with a wagering requirement of 20x. This means you would have to bet $8,000 ($400 x 20) before being able to withdraw the $400 bonus money from your account.
Promotions
Whilst bonuses are aimed squarely at new bettors, promotions exist to keep existing bettors coming back. You might be offered special deals for making additional deposits to your account, or for referring a friend to the sportsbook.
Many sportsbooks will also offer promotions for various sports and feature events such as the Super Bowl, NCAA March Madness, and the World Series.
Customer Service
Customer service is vital at any online sportsbook. Hopefully, you won't have the need to use it, but if you do you need to be sure that any problem or issue you have is taken care of as efficiently as possible.
Most online sportsbooks offer 24/7 customer service that is as friendly and efficient as it is easy to access. Expect to be able to access support via Live Chat, email, or telephone, and in some cases all three.
Legality
It is vital that any online sportsbook you sign up with is legal and properly regulated. This is the only sure-fire way to ensure that you will be paid out. It's also the only way to avoid breaking the law yourself. Remember, if it isn't legal, it isn't worth even a second of your time or a single cent of your bankroll.
Safety and Security
For any online sportsbook, safety and security are vital. You need to provide personal information when you sign up, and banking information when you make a deposit. If that data isn't handled properly, you could have bigger problems than your bets going down.
Fortunately, if you only sign up with legal sportsbooks that are properly regulated, you won't go wrong in this respect. For a regulated sportsbook to stay legal, it has to have strict safety and security protocols in place at all times.
Mobile Betting via Authorized Apps
If you want to bet on the move, check to see that the online sportsbook has an authorized app that you can download to your mobile device. If it doesn't, it should at least allow you to bet using the web browser of your device,
Mobile betting is the hottest thing going these days, so all of the biggest online sportsbooks tend to offer it as standard. This certainly applies in the case of DraftKings, so expect nothing less.
Banking at New Hampshire Sportsbooks
There are quite a few banking options that can be offered by online sportsbooks. If you have a preferred method of banking that you like to use, check to see if it available. Of course, this only applies when you have several New Hampshire online sports betting sites to choose from. For now, we will simply outline in general terms how deposits and withdrawals are made.
Making a Deposit
It is very easy to make a deposit at an online sportsbook. In fact, the process can be reduced to five simple steps:
- Log in to the sportsbook you want to bet at.
- Go to the cashier or payment section.
- Pick the banking method you want to use.
- Input the amount of money you want to deposit.
- Confirm the deposit.
When you make a deposit you will usually find that the processing is completed almost instantly. This allows you to make a deposit and start to make sports bets right away.
Making a Withdrawal
Making a withdrawal is much like making a deposit. You will need to go to the section where you made your deposit and click withdrawal instead. Input the amount of money that you want to withdraw and what banking method you want to use.
The one main difference between deposits and withdrawals is that withdrawals take longer to process. Some banking methods are quicker than others, and most will get your money to you within five working days from making the withdrawal request.