Legal sports betting has come to New Hampshire.
Operators and regulators answered Gov. Chris Sununu’s challenge to launch sportsbooks in the Granite State while the New England Patriots were still in the playoffs. Unfortunately, he didn’t have too many chances to bet.
The first sportsbook launched in New Hampshire on December 30, 2019.
DraftKings became the first company to launch sports betting in the Granite State. New Hampshire residents and visitors can now take part in the action on one of the best sportsbooks in the world.
Obviously, DraftKings crossed the finish line in New Hampshire first. However, there are other sportsbooks that will come to New Hampshire soon, too.
Other than DraftKings, the exact operators and the exact sites for online sportsbooks and retail sportsbooks, respectively, are still to be determined. There are only a few bits of data available that provide any clues.
Before getting started with the process, the NH Lottery conducted a study to determine the suitability of various sportsbook operators to the state’s needs.
From that study, the lottery solicited contract bids from the highest-scoring operators.
So, the most likely operators to run New Hampshire sportsbooks at this time are:
Overwhelmingly, DraftKings scored the best match for New Hampshire in both the mobile and retail channels. Intralot performed best in the lottery channel, followed by DraftKings.
So, DraftKings was the heavy favorite to lead the launches in the Granite State.
There are also five cities in New Hampshire whose citizens voted to host a sportsbook. The exact locations of these books are yet to be determined.
DraftKings is also rolling out across multiple regulated states and is the only operator to receive approval to launch in New Hampshire.
Apps are available for iPhone / iPad and Android mobile devices. You can download them from the App Store (iOS) or direct from DraftKings. With a generous $25 free bet with no deposit required, you can check out the interface and bet types available without needing to make a deposit. If you like what you find, you’ll get a 100% welcome match up to $500 too.
See our detailed DraftKings New Hampshire review for more.
Now that NH online sports betting has gone live, Granite State residents have access to sportsbooks in three ways.
DraftKings, along with most operators, has dedicated sports betting apps for both Android and Apple devices.
In addition, the browser versions, i.e., those accessed on your computer via a web browser such as Safari or Chrome, are likely to recognize when certain devices access them, and they will optimize for those formats.
Regardless of the preferred device or format, you will need to register for a proper sports betting account.
This process is simple. A click on a “Join Now” or “Sign Up” button will start the procedure. The sportsbook will ask you to provide specific individual information.
That info will include the following:
Most sign-up forms will also have a series of yes/no verifications that you must complete. Also, there may be a space to fill in any bonus codes.
To that end, make sure to check here for sign-up offers before registering for an account at any online sportsbook in New Hampshire.
We often have exclusive offers and deals that can be worth hundreds of dollars. If you sign up without following our link, you stand to miss out on free money and perks.
Some sites may also route new players to the cashier immediately after registration. If that happens, don’t feel pressured to contribute funds if you’re not ready to do so.
Also, similar to signing up, it is crucial to check PlayNH before making that first deposit. We will often have several bonuses available that you won’t find anywhere else.
Unless you are enjoying a free bet bonus, the next step to get started with online betting is to make a deposit. This is where the big advantage of regulated online sportsbooks comes in. You get to choose from a number of popular payment options — with no need to use crypto or expensive gift cards like you do with the offshore sites.
There are four main categories of payment methods: cards, bank transfers, electronic wallets and cash. Within each you will have several options. Here are the most popular ways to get your money on board:
When you make a withdrawal, New Hampshire sportsbooks will ask you to use the same method you deposited with whenever possible. This prevents fraud and money laundering. This is not always possible, and so other withdrawal methods are possible too. Here is a list:
Betting in New Hampshire is only legal within state lines. This is strictly enforced by the apps and websites — with geolocation technology a tried and tested solution. If you are using your phone, then you will need to enable location services in the apps. Desktop users’ location is detected by triangulating IP address information with Wi-Fi data.
You will not be able to place bets via a VPN or proxy server from outside of New Hampshire. These are easily detected by the books — and any doubt about your real location will mean no bets are possible.
For many bettors, the legal NH betting apps will be their first experience with online betting. While each app has a distinctive design and its own navigation, they share a common core layout. The list of sports, finding individual bets for each match, and organizing your betting slip is largely the same.
If you are using a bigger screen via the desktop sportsbooks, all three main areas listed below will appear at once. For the mobile apps, these are hidden until needed, saving screen real estate.
Here are the areas, from left to right:
There are separate sections on the apps for the cashier, account info, betting history, promotions and bonuses, support, FAQs and responsible gaming.
If you have been a regular visitor to Las Vegas sportsbooks, you might already know all the different single match, multiple and prop bets available at online books. For the rest of us, you’ll find a quick guide below.
Keep in mind that these are the bet types that cover most sports. Individual sports have props and special bets that are specific to them — for example the “puck-line” in hockey or “grand salami” for baseball.
First, the regular single-match bets:
You can also combine bets into multiples. This is a popular way to give yourself a big payout from a small stake:
There are plenty more ways to bet; this final section lists nonstandard ways to place wagers:
While New Hampshire lacks pro league teams, there are no shortage of teams in the region to wager on. New England is Patriots territory, and their games will attract a ton of betting action.
Massachusetts (and especially the Boston metro) has many more pro teams to bet on. Teams include the Boston Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics.
New Hampshire does have college teams, although you won’t be able to bet on matches involving those that take place within NH.
As a result of the most recent round of elections, there are now five cities in New Hampshire that have voted to host sports betting.
While the exact locations for these sportsbooks remain unclear, residents in and around these cities can prepare to have sports betting somewhere nearby.
The five cities that have approved sports betting are:
New Hampshire’s law allows for up to 10 retail sportsbooks in the state. So, this first round of locations is not meant to be an exhaustive list.
New Hampshire Lottery officials have estimated that retail sports betting will go live in the state sometime in late winter or early spring of 2020.
So, by March 2020, it should be quite clear where New Hampshirites will be able to place in-person bets.
House Bill 480 was signed in July of 2019. This set up a licensing framework for both online and retail sports betting. In January 2020, following a bidding process, the licenses were awarded. Additional votes at the local level were held for retail sportsbook locations.
Anyone 18 or over can bet online or in person in New Hampshire. There is no requirement to be a resident (visitors can bet too), although you do need to be inside state lines to place a wager.
Yes, NH online sportsbooks will be primarily app-based, with desktop (browser) sites in addition. You can download apps for both iPhone and Android devices. Apps for Apple devices are available from the App Store. You’ll need to download Android apps from the sportsbook brands, as these won’t appear in the Google Play store for legal reasons.
Regulated New Hampshire sports betting sites are extremely safe. All sportsbooks will be under the jurisdiction of the New Hampshire Lottery, which means (unlike with offshore sites), you have a body to complain to should anything go wrong.
Yes. Daily fantasy sports contests were legal in New Hampshire before the current sports betting legislation was proposed. Alongside DFS contests, DraftKings will offer online sports betting in New Hampshire.
You can bet only on college sports where the match does not involve a team from New Hampshire.
No. Both state and federal law prohibit interstate sports betting. Every New Hampshire sportsbook will have software to verify player locations at all times.
They face fines and sanctions if they do not police this practice rigidly. In most places, the software is more likely to prohibit people from playing while they’re rightfully inside state lines than it is to allow someone from out of state to play.
Yes. It is possible to sign up for a New Hampshire sportsbook account from out of state. It is also possible to deposit into that account from beyond state lines.
Contact the Division of Sports Wagering at the New Hampshire Lottery. The NH Lottery is the oversight body of all sports betting in the state and can help players find a resolution to problems with licensees.
The New Hampshire Lottery’s contact information is as follows:
New Hampshire Lottery Commission
14 Integra Drive
Concord, NH 03301
Phone