New Hampshire Sports Betting Bill Makes Way To Senate Committee With Momentum

• New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu originally included language for sports betting revenue in his 2020-21 budget proposal.
• NH HB 480 was passed through the State House by a margin of 269-82 votes in favor of legal New Hampshire sports betting.
• The bill would permit sports betting at retail locations and through a state-wide mobile sports wagering app.

CONCORD, N.H. – Legal sports betting in New Hampshire seems to be right on track. This week the New Hampshire Senate Committee on Ways and Means is set to hear NH HB 480, a sports betting bill that was overwhelmingly passed through the State House last week.

The bill, in its current form, would set the New Hampshire Lottery Commission in charge of overseeing the new gambling industry. They would have the ability to authorize 10 retail sportsbooks along with a state-wide mobile sports wagering app.

Since New Hampshire is one of the few states in the country without brick-and-mortar casinos, the retail sportsbooks would have to be “co-located” with other commercial businesses.

Local municipalities would also have to vote whether or not they even want a land-based sportsbook in their territory before one of these venues could appear.

As for a sports wagering app, the registration process would not require bettors to visit a physical sportsbook. Instead, accounts can be made remotely.

That provision, along with the fact that the legal New Hampshire sports betting age would be set to 18 years old or older, would effectively expand the number of bettors and accessibility of the practice in the state no matter what local residents vote.

The biggest restriction inside the bill is that N.H. residents will not be able to place bets on collegiate teams that are located within the state’s borders.

How Likely Is It For Sports Betting In New Hampshire To Become Legal?

The likelihood for this sports wagering bill to become law in New Hampshire seems to be high. The bill originally passed through the New Hampshire House Ways and Means Committee by a margin of 17-2 before being passed through the House floor by a margin of 269-82.

To add to the large support from the State House, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu has already shown that he favors the activity through his 2020-21 budget proposal.

“This budget increases our education revenue streams by legalizing sports betting, which will bring an additional $10 million in annual revenue beginning in fiscal year 2021,” said Sununu.

Even members of the Senate have shown some support for legal sports betting in N.H. Last week, the New Hampshire House Committee on Ways and Means set a hearing for Senate Bill NH SB 310. The bill included provisions for the construction of brick-and-mortar casinos with the ability to serve sportsbooks at those locations.

While that bill is not expected to pass the House due to its push for physical casinos, the author of that bill, N.H. Senator Lou D’Allesandro, is vice chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means which is set to hear NH HB 480 this week.

As of now, there is no telling how the State Senate will vote on the bill, but the appetite to expand gaming in the state is evident. Should the bill reach Governor Sununu, many expect him to sign it into law.

News tags: New Hampshire | New Hampshire sports betting | NH HB 480 | NH SB 310