Legal DFS Sites in New Hampshire

Picking athlete lineups and pitting them against friends or colleagues has been a popular pastime for decades. 

Fantasy sports shifted online in 2009, with the emergence of daily fantasy sports (DFS) sites. These allow real money contests where players could pit their picking skills against others across the country.

New Hampshire is one of a handful of states to legalize DFS games explicitly. Bill HB 580, which passed in 2017, allows NH residents to enjoy fantasy contests and tax the operators.

This page covers all you need to know to enjoy daily fantasy sports in the Granite State. 

You’ll find information on DFS, site operators and the practical aspects of depositing funds. First up, more details on the legal situation, along with the new law that allows sports betting in New Hampshire.

Are daily fantasy sports legal in New Hampshire?

Bill HB 580 was signed into law on July 18, 2017, and became effective immediately. 

Daily fantasy sports has been available in New Hampshire for many years; however, this bill acknowledges that these contests are legal. 

Also, it put protections in place for DFS players. These include ensuring funds are segregated, a ban on employees entering contests and a registration requirement for the operators.

HB 580 doesn’t introduce any taxation or registration fee requirements. As in most states, players must declare gambling wins on their income tax filings. The Lottery Commission oversees daily fantasy sports in New Hampshire.

More recently, bill H 480 was signed into law, which sets up a licensing framework for 10 online sportsbooks and five retail sportsbook outlets. These sportsbooks will allow wagering on pro and college sports, as well as international fixtures. 

DraftKings and FanDuel, which are also the two biggest DFS operators, were among the brands that declared an interest in obtaining a sports betting license. DraftKings is launching a full sports betting app in New Hampshire.

How daily fantasy sports contests work

If you already know how DFS contests work, skip below to read the details of the types you can join.

Even those new to DFS know that neighborhood and office pools have been around for decades. Coworkers and friends compare the performances of athletes, with points assigned based on the on-field action. 

Swaps help keep things fresh. This type of contest often lasted for a full season, with (usually small amounts) of pooled cash going to the winners.

What DFS sites do is bring these contests online, and make them quicker. Most contests only last a day or a weekend. With online contests, you can play against people, beyond your cubicle walls, from across the US. 

This format allows for many various forms of contests. The main distinction is between cash games (one-on-one contests) and tournaments, where many people compete for big prizes.

The starting point of all the contests is to pick a lineup of players. 

You receive a salary cap, and then choose a roster that is based on the pro league of your choice. 

Online contests mean you can pick multiple rosters, allowing for both small variations and completely new lineups. You then enter contests for real money. These contests range from low stakes of $1-$2 to more money where you’ll be competing against more experienced players.

Types of DFS contest: Variations of cash games and tournaments

Once you create a roster, you can choose to enter various contests. Here are the core ideas:

• Cash Games: Pitting your roster against one other player is the bread and butter of DFS. You can enter a single lineup into multiple games or create new lineups for each contest. Some cash games involve more than two players. To avoid playing against too many experts, DFS sites allow you to limit the number of times your roster is entered against the same rival. You’ll find cash games available for NFL, MBA, NHL, MLB and soccer.
• Tournaments: DFS tournaments are the way to go if you want to give yourself a shot at a big win for a small outlay. You will be competing against a lot of players — thousands, in some cases — for big money. Everyone enters their roster, with the prize pool split among those that finish at the top. Some tournaments have guaranteed prize pools (GPP), while others pay half the field double their money. You will also find qualifier tournaments, which instead of paying cash, offer spots in bigger buy-in games as prizes.

If you want to play with friends or colleagues using DFS sites, then you can set up leagues. These can be based on a single gameday (or weekend) or last up to a full season. 

You’ll have the flexibility to set up the entry fees and payouts as you want. Furthermore, leagues and tournaments can be private or public.

New Hampshire DFS sites

Daily fantasy sports online are dominated by DraftKings and FanDuel, which control more than 95% of the market:

• DraftKings: Launched in 2012, DraftKings was second to the FanDuel for many years before overtaking that site to become the largest DFS operator. You can enter contests for the pro leagues (NBA, NFL, NHL or MLB), golf, soccer, MMA or tennis. DraftKings feature beginner contests, steps (where you win your way toward the bigger buy-in contests) and boosters. In addition to its DFS app, DraftKings is launching a full sports betting app in New Hampshire.
• FanDuel: The first major DFS site began in 2009. Currently, FanDuel is the second-largest fantasy sports operator and is owned by Flutter Entertainment (previously known as Paddy Power Betfair). Sports covered are almost the same as at DraftKings. Notable omissions at FanDuel include e-sports, MMA and some international soccer leagues. This brand is also bidding for a full sports betting license in NH.

While there are smaller DFS sites, their scale makes them hard to beat in terms of game selection and prize pools. Alternatives include Yahoo! Sports and ScoreSeek.

DFS site bonuses

FanDuel and DraftKings’ DFS sites will give new players $20 free to try out their contests. 

There are also regular promotions for existing players, including a loyalty program. With only the two sites, competition has not been broad enough to require competitive deposit bonuses. 

However, if the full sportsbook sites in other states are anything to go by, you’ll get a much bigger welcome bonus by registering at those first.

DFS players can link accounts in states where DFS and sports betting are both available.

How to deposit and withdraw at DFS sites?

Compared to the long list of deposit and withdrawal options at state-regulated sports betting sites, DFS sites are limited in terms of payment methods. 

Two banking options are available at both of the leading DFS sites:

1. Credit or Debit Cards: Bank cards are the go-to for the majority of DFS players. The four biggest networks will work at these sites: Visa, Discover, Mastercard and American Express. Making a deposit works in the same way as making any online purchase.
2. PayPal: This popular e-wallet service makes a good choice for anyone reluctant to use their credit card online. Sending money is free, though you’ll pay fees when receiving money into your account. You can use PayPal for both deposits and withdrawals.

For withdrawals, you can choose PayPal or a check, which the site will mail to your home.

New Hampshire daily fantasy sports: Tips to get started

You need to avoid the pros to make a profit at DFS sites. 

There are people on these sites who work the games full time. Their experience and insights into the mechanics of the games make them hard to beat, especially in the smaller cash game contests.

The picks you make are down to your judgment; however, you can ensure you don’t lose cash by avoiding making any of the following rookie errors:

• Leaving Salary Gaps: Each game will have a salary cap for your roster. While you won’t always be able to exactly match this, leaving consistent gaps will make the contests hard to beat. Always use as much of your cap as possible when choosing rosters.
• Stick to a Single Lineup: It is possible to pick that perfect lineup that crushes a tournament. More commonly, many of your players will perform well, only to find a few who let you down. Experts will vary their lineups for this reason. DFS sites allow you to enter as many rosters as you like, with variations on your core lineup, which gives you multiple ways to win.
• Ignoring Beginner Contests: It can be tempting to jump right into the biggest prize contests. You’ll often be competing against experienced players here. Instead, you should take advantage of the novice/beginner contests while you can.
• Playing Against Pros: DFS sites have tools that can limit the number of lineups you enter against the same player; ignoring this will cost you money. The reason is that the pros enter many contests, while recreational players usually enter just a few. If you see someone entering several lineups each day, they are often best avoided.
• Failing to Manage Your Bankroll: Even if you only ever gamble with money that you could afford to lose, then there are still more skills to master with bankroll management. The variance will put an end to chances of winning unless you manage your bankroll effectively. It can be as simple as not betting too much on any individual contest or can be more complex, for example, using the Kelly Criterion.

Wrapping up: DFS In New Hampshire

Daily fantasy sports became legal in New Hampshire in 2017. 

In 2020, the contest will include sports betting apps. 

We have yet to see whether sports betting will reduce the number of DFS contests taking place.

The two most prominent DFS brands, DraftKings and FanDuel, will be among the first operators to launch sportsbooks. 

In other states, it’s possible to link a DFS account with a sports betting account. This fluidity gives the best of both worlds: Access to cash games and tournaments, as well as the ability to bet on pro and college sports directly.