Gambling in New Hampshire

Legal forms of gambling in the U.S. state of New Hampshire include the New Hampshire Lottery, sports betting, parimutuel wagering, and charitable gaming. The state's Gaming Regulatory Oversight Authority (GROA)[1] is part of the New Hampshire Lottery Commission, which also maintains an Investigative & Compliance Division.[2]

Lottery
Main article: New Hampshire Lottery

Initially known as the New Hampshire Sweepstakes, the state's lottery began operation in 1964 and is the oldest lottery conducted by a U.S. state.[3][lower-alpha 1] New Hampshire offers scratch tickets and participates in multi-state lotteries such as Mega Millions and Powerball. Online sales began in September 2018.[4]

Sports betting

Sports betting was legalized by the state in 2019; bets can be placed over the Internet, via mobile app, or at one of a limited number of facilities that have sports betting terminals.[5][6] The first bet was placed on December 30, 2019, by Chris Sununu, the Governor of New Hampshire.[7]

Parimutuel wagering
A postcard of Rockingham Park

The state allows parimutuel wagering on horse racing and greyhound racing.[8] However, there are currently no active tracks in the state.[9][10]

Rockingham Park, a horse racing facility in Salem, operated from 1906 until 2009.[11] Dog racing took place at several venues, including Hinsdale Greyhound Park, which closed in 2008,[12] and Seabrook Greyhound Park, which ended live racing in 2009 while continuing to offer simulcast wagering of races at other locations.[13]

Off-track betting is allowed; as of January 2023, there is only a single such facility in the state, located in Seabrook.[5][14]

Charitable gaming

Charitable gaming allowed in the state includes poker, bingo, Lucky 7 pull-tab tickets, and raffles.[15] Groups wishing to run charitable gaming events must be registered with the state.[15]

In 2021, New Hampshire legalized Instant Racing (also known as historical horse racing) at charitable gaming facilities.[16]

Casinos

New Hampshire has no commercial casinos. Several facilities that brand themselves as casinos operate under the state's charitable gaming laws, donating a portion of daily proceeds to local nonprofit organizations.[17] One such facility operates table games including Spanish 21 and roulette, poker tables, and historical horse racing machines.[17][18] A similar facility donated over $4 million in 10 years to a local American Legion post.[19]

No casino cruise ships currently operate from New Hampshire ports.[5] New Hampshire has the shortest coastline—approximately 18.5 miles (29.8 km)—of any U.S. state that borders an ocean.[20] Gambling boats have operated at times out of harbors in neighboring Massachusetts, conducting "cruises to nowhere" in federal waters, where state gambling laws do not apply.[21]

Further information: Gambling in Massachusetts § Casino cruises

As New Hampshire has no federally recognized tribes, the state has no Native American gaming (colloquially known as "Indian casinos").[9]

See also

Notes
  1. Legal lotteries in the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands were established in the 1930s.

References
  1. "Gaming Regulatory Oversight Authority". NH.gov. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  2. "Enforcement Unit". NH.gov. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  3. "About Us | New Hampshire Lottery". nhlottery.com. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  4. "New Hampshire Becomes The Sixth State Offering Online Lottery - Online Poker Report". Online Poker Report. 2018-09-19. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
  5. "New Hampshire Sports Betting". betting.us. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  6. "TITLE XXIV GAMES, AMUSEMENTS, AND ATHLETIC EXHIBITIONS | CHAPTER 287-I SPORTS BETTING". NH.us. New Hampshire General Court. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  7. "New Hampshire adds sports betting". Lincoln Journal Star. Lincoln, Nebraska. AP. December 31, 2019. p. A6. Retrieved January 9, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  8. "TITLE XXIV GAMES, AMUSEMENTS, AND ATHLETIC EXHIBITIONS | Chapter 284 HORSE AND DOG RACING". NH.us. New Hampshire General Court. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  9. Friedl, Jon (March 14, 2022). "New Hampshire Slot Machine Casino Gambling". professorslots.com. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  10. "beabetterbettor.com". Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  11. Loder, Amanda (May 24, 2013). "Remembering Rockingham Park: A Story of Prestige and Decline". NHPR. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
  12. Brown, Garry (29 December 2008). "Western Mass. fans regret passing of nearby greyhound race track". The Springfield Republican. Retrieved 10 October 2012 – via MassLive.com.
  13. Barrick, Daniel (July 14, 2009). "With mandates lifted, live dog racing abandoned". Concord Monitor. p. 1. Retrieved January 10, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  14. "The Brook | Racebook". livefreeandplay.com. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  15. "New Hampshire Charitable Gaming". casinocity.com. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  16. "New Hampshire authorizes historical horse racing in the state". WBZ-AM. June 10, 2021. Retrieved 2021-10-24.
  17. "New Hampshire's Boston Billiard Club & Casino installs 50 HHR gaming machines". yogonet.com. November 3, 2022. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  18. "Tables Games". bostonbilliardclubcasino.com. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  19. Sullivan, Max (November 4, 2021). "Hampton Beach's Ocean Gaming Casino goes all in on expansion as gambling grows in NH". seacoastonline.com. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  20. "How long is the coastline of New Hampshire? It's more complicated than you realize". Concord Monitor. August 16, 2016. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  21. David L. Greene (October 11, 1999). "Vegas touch in old port". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2015-01-04.
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