DraftKings may be based in Boston, Massachusetts, but the company may take in the most dollars from Massachusetts residents across the New Hampshire border. The company has just opened its second New Hampshire retail sportsbook.
The new book in Manchester is less than an hour’s drive from Boston. For the foreseeable future, it could stand as a potential destination for Bostonians wanting to legally wager on sporting events.
Details on the second New Hampshire retail sportsbook
Just a month after DraftKings opened its first brick-and-mortar book in Seabrook, it opened a second location.
This one is at Filotimo Casino and Restaurant at 1279 S. Willow St. in Manchester.
Aside from the Southside Tavern, the location offers several types of gaming. Options include:
- Bingo
- Keno
- Lottery
- Lucky 7
- Poker
Now, the 40,000-square-foot facility also offers DraftKings Sportsbook betting kiosks.
The sportsbook space offers individual and group seating in front of a TV wall as well. While bettors are on site, they are required to wear face masks properly unless drinking, eating or taking medication.
In New Hampshire, the state lottery regulates sports betting. The New Hampshire Lottery’s Executive Director Charlie McIntyre said the lottery chose the Filotimo because of its experience operating charity gaming.
That wasn’t the only reason, however.
“Our stated intent is to take as much activity as we can from Massachusetts. Out-of-state money is the best kind of money,” McIntyre said.
DraftKings and the New Hampshire Lottery won’t have to worry about legal sportsbooks in Massachusetts competing for that money for the foreseeable future. That may spur more retail locations in the state.
MA books aren’t imminent, window is open in New Hampshire
Although the Massachusetts legislature came close to legalizing sports betting in its past session, close doesn’t count in this regard. That body may have more success in the next session, but even a best-case scenario wouldn’t have legal books launching in the state until mid-2021.
That may become the case in Vermont as well. The state is currently conducting a study on the effects of legalization.
If Vermont follows Massachusetts, New Hampshire could see two of its three neighboring states with legal sportsbooks on the way.
That makes time of the essence to get the maximum value out of brick-and-mortar sports betting in New Hampshire. Gov. Chris Sununu spoke to that effect during the opening of the Filotimo book.
“We don’t want to be building in spring of 2021. We want to be taking advantage of it and we are really setting that gold standard for having that balance of COVID and good economic success,” Sununu stated.
Several New Hampshire cities have already set the wheels in motion to be future retail sportsbook sites. There are only eight more licenses available under current law, with 15 New Hampshire towns in the running.
It’s uncertain exactly what will give some cities the edge over others. Population and existing infrastructure are likely high priorities, as well as distance from existing books to limit market saturation.
What’s certain is that the sooner these books open, the better the chance of them pulling in out-of-state money for the greatest amount of time.
