Gambling in New Hampshire
New Hampshire is not a particularly gambling-friendly state, but retail and sports betting New Hampshire has legalized. There are currently no commercial casinos, but charitable entities are allowed to offer the likes of poker, craps, and blackjack. Online betting on daily fantasy sports, simulcast parimutuel racing, and the state lottery is legal.
State of New Hampshire Online Gambling
Overall, online poker and online casino betting is not allowed in New Hampshire. Online and in-person sports betting is, however, allowed in New Hampshire. A bill was signed in 2019 and Gov. Chris Sununu placed the first bet on December 20.
DraftKings was given exclusive access to run online sports betting after the Boston-based company offered to tax 50 per cent of retail profit and 51 per cent of gross mobile gaming revenue as part of a 6-year deal. These percentages would go down if other operators are allowed into the market.
This may explain why, at the time of writing, DraftKings continues to be the only licensed operator in the state. Sports betting is currently allowed at 2 physical locations - Seabrook’s The Brook Casino and Manchester’s South Side Tavern - and the betting is run by DraftKings.
The New Hampshire Lottery is responsible for regulating sports betting in the state. Regulations would allow DraftKings to open up to 10 different retail locations in the state, along with its online sportsbook betting services.
DraftKings' first sportsbook was opened in 2020 at The Brook Casino, which was bought by Eureka Casino Resorts in 2019.
Along with sports betting, the only legal forms of online gambling according to New Hampshire gambling laws are the New Hampshire Lottery, simulcast parimutuel racing, and daily fantasy sports.
Casino Games in New Hampshire
There are no commercial casinos in the state and no online New Hampshire Casino gambling is allowed. It does allow casino games, however, if they are run for charity.
In the case of legal charitable gaming, 35 per cent of any profits must go to registered non-profit entities and 10 per cent must go to the state.
These charitable entities can offer table games such as poker, roulette, craps, and blackjack but there is a buy-in limit of $150 and a bet limit of $10 for poker and $4 for other games.
There are no casinos in New Hampshire with slot machines as these games are illegal.
The charity gambling laws in New Hampshire are considered to be some of the most liberal in the US.
New Hampshire Online Poker
Online poker has yet to be legalized in New Hampshire as real money online casino New Hampshire laws ban all online casino games. In-person poker is legal, however, when venues comply with charity gaming laws.
New Hampshire Sports Betting
Sports betting has been legalized in the state and it is thought that if this outperforms projections and if lawmakers in the state need additional revenue sources in the future, then legislation allowing online casino gambling may be introduced.
Top Gambling Cities in New Hampshire
It is hard to name a top casino city in New Hampshire as the state has none of the bumper commercial casinos you might find in other areas.
As the home of the 2 legal sports betting venues, however, Seabrook or Manchester may be classed as a good gambling city in New Hampshire. Some of the other largest charity gaming businesses are also located in Rochester, Hampton, Nashua, Keene, and Belmont.
Tribal Gaming in New Hampshire
There are no tribal casinos in New Hampshire. The gaming options in the state are, instead, restricted to bar-based and strip mall clubs.
New Hampshire Gambling FAQs
What is the legal gambling age in New Hampshire?
You have to be at least 18 years old to bet in the state of New Hampshire.
Is online gambling legal in New Hampshire?
Overall, online gambling and online casino New Hampshire operations are not allowed. Online betting on sports, daily fantasy sports, the lottery, and simulcast parimutuel racing is allowed, however.
Is sports betting allowed in New Hampshire?
Sports betting was legalized in 2019 and the legal sports betting New Hampshire laws mean the state can offer as many as 5 mobile/online operator licenses and 10 retail licenses. At the time of writing, however, DraftKings offered the only 2 retail locations for sports betting at Seabrook’s The Brook Casino and Manchester’s South Side Tavern. Overall, the New Hampshire Lottery regulates and runs the state’s sports betting.
When did New Hampshire legalize gambling?
The history of gambling in New Hampshire is a fairly complex affair. It was the first state in the US to launch a state-run lottery and yet it has still to legalize the likes of commercial casinos and general online betting. When it comes to online gambling New Hampshire has fairly serious restrictions.
How many New Hampshire casinos are there?
There are no commercial or tribal casinos in New Hampshire. Charitable entities are allowed, however. These are usually bar- or mall-based venues allowed under charitable gambling laws.
Does New Hampshire have a lottery?
New Hampshire became the first American state to launch a lottery in 1964 and now offers a range of tickets. These include Tri-State Megabucks, Powerball, Pick4, Pick3, Mega Millions, Lucky For Life, Hot Lotto, and Gimme 5. Players can subscribe to the lottery and receive regular tickets.
Is poker legal in New Hampshire?
Poker is allowed under charity gaming laws and there are several poker clubs in the state. These include the Manchester Poker Room, the Poker Room at One Lafayette, and Seabrook Greyhound Park.
Is there live greyhound and horseracing in New Hampshire?
Both have been legal in the state, but greyhound racing is now banned and there is no live horseracing due to a lack of support. Betting on simulcast racing is allowed and there are venues at Seabrook Greyhound park and Rockingham Park.
Is social gaming allowed in New Hampshire?
The state is one of a few in America that has an outright ban on social gaming.