New Hampshire Sports Betting Bill Now Inching Towards Governor’s Desk

• NH HB 480 would legalize the activity at retail locations as well as through mobile apps.
• The most recent amendment to the bill would set a cap of five mobile sports wagering operators in the state.
• NH Governor Chris Sununu included $10 million dollars to come from sports betting in his House-approved budget.

CONCORD, N.H. – New Hampshire seems to be on a clear path to legal sports betting this year. After a special session held by the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday, members of the committee approved sports betting bill NH H 480. They did so with an “ought to pass with amendment” recommendation.

Last week, NH Senator Bob Guida added an amendment which would set the cap of mobile sports betting operators to five in the state.

The Senate Finance Committee also clarified other aspects of the bill. The first being that mobile sports wagering platforms will be restricted to the borders of the state. This is to comply with the current federal law known as the Wire Act.

The second amendment involved putting wager limits on daily, weekly, or monthly amounts in order to address problem gambling. This would mostly be assessed on mobile sports betting. The lottery commission would be in charge of monitoring this feature.

The third amendment specifies which businesses will be able to host sportsbooks. The venues that are selected will be those that are estimated to yield the highest profitability for the state.

The bill will now undergo further analysis in the Senate before it heads back to the House for concurrence.

NH H 480 was previously passed through the New Hampshire House by a vote of 269-82. If the House does not agree to the changes, they can call a conference committee to finalize the proposal together.

“I do anticipate that the House will concur with the Senate changes,” said House Representative and bill sponsor Timothy Lang.

“I think either way it will pass. If it goes to a committee of conference, I expect they will work it out. But, I honestly believe we will concur on the House floor and be done.”

If that does happen, there is a high chance that New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu will sign the bill into law. Governor Sununu included $10 million dollars to come from New Hampshire sports betting in his budget proposal, which was approved by the State House.

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