Sports Betting in New Hampshire

Online Sports Betting in New Hampshire (2023)

Online sports betting is completely legal for New Hampshire residents. The Bill for legalization was signed into law in December 2019 by Governor Chris Sununu. The best part of the legislation is that it covers both online sportsbooks and physical locations with licenses all across the state.

In addition to the retail offline betting and online sportsbooks, New Hampshire's law allows for remote registration of potential users, and a chance to offer licenses to about 15 sports betting operators. We have a well-detailed explanation of how the betting space in NH functions; its laws, sportsbooks, regulatory body, and much more. Read on.

Legal Sportsbooks in New Hampshire

At the time when the bidding was open to interested sportsbook operators in New Hampshire, Draftkings was the only operator granted a provisional license with monopoly status to operate in New Hampshire. 

This was probably due to DraftKings’ proposal, offering 51% of its gross revenue to the state, in hope that the betting brand will be granted sole status to operate both the online and mobile sportsbook and own some offline retail locations in some parts of the state. 

DraftKings 9.5/10

Ever since it was granted a license in New Hampshire, DraftKings has shown that it can handle the entire sports betting players in the state. DraftKings has always been in the business of providing authentic Daily Fantasy Sports contests to a large betting audience. 

The sportsbook operator boasts of a functional mobile app and desktop site with an impressive user experience. Players can download the sports betting apps via their mobile play stores; Android google play store and Apple app store. 

Despite its huge tax return to the government, it still offers the best odds and bonuses obtainable in other states where it operates. Newbies are welcomed with awesome bonuses to kickstart their betting adventure. Existing players are always offered exclusive promotions and loyalty programs to maintain the sportsbook as their primary brand. 

An amazing feature of using Draftkings sportsbook is the ease of deposits and withdrawals. Popular payment methods are available such as bank cards, e-wallets, bank transfers, and prepaid cards. DraftKings ensures that every payment gateway is safe and secure. 

On their app, there are lots of sporting events to place wagers on. Big events like soccer, basketball, hockey, football, and baseball are all available on the app. 

Retail Sportsbooks in New Hampshire

There are currently two retail sportsbooks operating in New Hampshire. They are driven by Draftkings with the aid of the owners of the facilities where they are located.

The Filotimo Casino and Restaurant is a top casino that has among its services, Draftkings sportsbook. It includes placing wagers with a standby clerk and a standby kiosk at Filotimo. The casino also provides a lounge to sit, relax and watch games while enjoying the ambiance of food and drinks from the restaurant. 

The Brook is another retail casino located at Seabrook, which offers a total relish to the casino experience in New Hampshire. New Hampshire players can place in-person wagers at Draftkings sportsbook here and play other casino games. In addition, the lounge provides comfort and a chance to eat, and drink, with each couch having a personalized TV for the best viewing experience.

What’s Next?

Certainly, DraftKings’ reign as the only sportsbook in NH would not be for long. Several sportsbooks are currently working the papers to get into this great betting space. Now, other online betting operators looking to break into the New Hampshire market are:

• FanDuel
• Winview
• MKF Player Prop Parlays

With these sportsbooks breaking into NH, the betting space would have to adjust due to competition. Bonus offers, user experience, and mobile apps are some of the factors that would make the best sportsbook in town.

Laws that Govern New Hampshire Online Sportsbooks

The laws regulating sports betting in New Hampshire are among the strictest in the country. To be able to wager comfortably in the state, the regulations of the state must be followed. Some of them include:

• Players at any sportsbook must be 18 or older
• While registration can be done remotely, players must submit relevant documents, including details like SSN.
• In-person domestic sports betting is entirely legal in the state. 
• Players can do in-play betting online and on the mobile app only.
• The tax rate is 50% for all retail locations, while 51% for online sportsbooks is remittable through the NH Lottery Commission to the state government.
• Sports betting on all local NH college games are banned. Only professional sports events in the colleges can be wagered. 
• The tax remitted goes directly into the public education system of the NH. 

Who Oversees Gambling Operations in New Hampshire Online Sportsbooks?

The New Hampshire Lottery Commission regulates sports betting activities within the border. The Commission was created in 2019 after the legalization of sports betting in the state. They license and regulate the activities of online sportsbooks and offline retail brick-and-mortar casinos. Among their responsibilities include: 

• Investigating sports betting operators applying to operate in the state.
• Issuing of licenses to successful applicants
• Enforcement of state legislation on sports betting.
• Make recommendations to be submitted to the state governor’s office for the necessary action.
• Design the structure for the regulation of all gambling activities in the state.

Why Playing on NH Online Sportsbooks is Better than Illegal Offshore Sites

Many offshore gambling sites offer juicy bonus offers to entice players to register with them. Others claim that international regulatory bodies regulate them. From our experience, these statements are to lure players into their trap.  

First and foremost, the New Hampshire lottery commission is a no-nonsense regulatory body with a reputation for ensuring due process in investigating applications for potential sportsbook operators in NH and closely regulating these operators’ activities. You cannot guarantee that due process will be followed at these offshore sites. 

New Hampshire created the Lottery Commission for the safety of its residents. They understood the dangers that can be encountered in the gambling space and found a solution for it. It is not ideal for bypassing this safety measure. In essence, you would be putting yourself in great danger. 

All NH sports betting operators are closely monitored by the Commission. Customer protection is guaranteed on all legal NH sportsbooks. These sportsbooks invest huge capital to ensure their platform is safe and secured for users. But this cannot be guaranteed for illegal sites. First, they are illegal, and that speaks a lot.  

Beyond the safety and security legal sportsbooks guarantee, they also offer more betting benefits like odds boosts, extensive markets, various bet types, etc. Again, these features are investigated by the Commission and given a pass. Illegal offshore betting sites offer these features in adverts, but practically nothing is guaranteed. They manipulate the outcome of every result to enrich themselves. 

Finally, we suggest you create a betting account with a legal sportsbook operator; because the Commission can step in if you are not treated fairly and transparently. Illegal sportsbooks are way out of their jurisdiction. 

How We Select and Review the Best Online Sportsbooks in New Hampshire

As we expect more sportsbook operators to enter the New Hampshire market soon, we will be updating this page with detailed reviews about each of them and what makes them unique. We’re sure you may be wondering what we consider when reviewing each operator. 

While many top online sportsbooks seek to dominate the US sports betting market, many of them may have sinister motives. To ensure you don’t fall prey to illegal sites, the following pointers are what we look out for and should also be your markers to determine which sportsbook is the best for you.

Payment Methods

There are lots of payment methods available on the internet used by sportsbook operators for payments. A good operator should list as many payment options for the players to select the most convenient. Among the many ones, genuine sportsbook operators in New Hampshire should have some of the following:

• Cryptocurrencies
• Checks
• Bank cards
• E-wallets
• Prepaid card

Ideally, sportsbooks can offer more payment channels, but most of these options listed above should be available. They are popular and are known to be safe and secure for payments. 

High Odds for Betting

The main secret to getting higher cash prizes for sports betting events is in the high odds listed, especially for the big games. There are many types of odds available, but the fact remains that the higher the odds for your game you can predict, the higher the potential cashout. 

The sportsbook operators in New Hampshire release high odds, but we will compare two different sites for the odds they release for a particular game, side by side. 

Don’t forget, the higher the odds for a game an operator releases, the higher your potential cash prize. It also shows that such an operator has the interests of its players at heart. 

Licensing and Security

Before we even begin reviewing a sportsbook, we confirm which regulatory body is responsible for its license. In the case of New Hampshire, we ensure that the sportsbook is licensed by the New Hampshire Lottery Commission. Any operator not authorized by this body is illegally operating in New Hampshire and may be out to scam potential players.

One of the benefits of confirming if a sportsbook is licensed by a known body is that players won’t be scared of the security of the private information they provide when depositing, withdrawing, and creating their accounts. They can also take their complaints to the commission if there is an issue that is not satisfactorily solved by the operator. 

When it comes to the security of the betting website, it is essential to confirm three fundamental aspects. They include the fairness of their games, SSL encryption, and the safety of real money transactions. 

As stated above, you should only go for sites that offer well-known, secured payment options for ease of transaction. If you notice an unfamiliar banking option, you should research it to see if it is legit. 

Many sportsbooks use an RNG (Random Number Generator) to maintain the integrity of the games they offer. Confirming the fairness of games a sportsbook provides is critical to know that you as a player also have a fair chance of winning and losing.

Active Customer Support

Sportsbooks must have an active customer support team. And we consider the available channels New Hampshire sportsbook offers to its players and how fast they respond to complaints raised by their users. When we review, we personally test all the means of communication with the customer support team to see if they’re active and work as promised. 

Most of the popular means of communicating with the customer support team include:

• Live Chat
• Emails
• Active phone number
• Contact forms.

Mobile App and Live Streaming

Here’s the deal. Imagine a situation where you have placed wagers for a game you'd like to follow, but you’re so busy that sitting in front of a TV is impossible. New Hampshire sports betting operators should have a mobile app where players can perform similar actions on the web version but on the go. You should be able to place wagers, fund your account, or request a withdrawal of your cash prizes on the mobile app too.

Among the many features, the app is supposed to have live streaming technology so you can follow the game as you go about your activities. The advantages of live streaming are enormous. Among them and most important is it allows you to make real-time decisions on your wager as the event goes on. Essentially, helping you keep in touch with your favorite game without missing the live-action.

Each feature on the mobile app must be user-friendly. Your betting adventure should be better with the use of sportsbook apps. 

Welcome Bonuses for New Players and Promotions for Existing Players

A good reason for allowing multiple sportsbooks in the NH betting space is the diversity of offers they would bring on. These betting offers are crucial to kickstart your gambling adventure in a grand style. The type of bonuses commonly available to New Hampshire players include:

• No-deposit bonus
• Cashback bonus
• Match bonus
• Reload bonus, etcetera. 

Existing players are not left out of bonuses. A good sportsbook always ensures regular members are offered promotions to keep using their accounts. We look out for sportsbooks that offer players several offers to make gambling more entertaining.  

However, as you look out for juicy offers, take note of the terms and conditions attached to the bonuses, especially the wagering requirements. In addition, we confirm that the terms and conditions are not stringent and within industry standards before posting a sportsbook review on our website. 

Diverse Sporting Events

We also go the extra mile of checking if there are different sports offered in an NH sportsbook. There are lots of sports events legal in New Hampshire. Games like soccer, football, basketball, hockey, baseball, cricket, golf, MMA, etc., are major sports. Most times, for a robust experience, users want to explore minor sports such as cricket, rugby, and many others. 

Ideally, we try to create a balance for NH players. This is due to the diverse kind of bettors in the state. We understand some sportsbooks focus on major leagues, while a few others have minor leagues available. A good betting market is when you can bet on whatever leagues you prefer, and we know this.