New Hampshire accepting sports gambling license applications

There’s still time for the state to see legal sportsbooks before the start of football

New Hampshire is one of the most recent states to introduce sports gambling legislation following approval by the state’s governor, Chris Sununu, last month. It was a last-minute push ahead of the start of the NFL season that paved the way for legalization and, while it’s too late to get things in place for the start of the season, it might be possible to see wagers before the Super Bowl next year. New Hampshire has begun accepting applications for sportsbook operations just three weeks prior to the start of pro football’s regular season.

Ten licenses are available for retail operators, with another five to be issued to online sportsbooks. Applications are being accepted now until September 16 at 4 PM and the New Hampshire Lottery, which is overseeing the field, will release its final list of providers sometime in November. The lottery’s executive director, Charlie McIntyre, states, “The New Hampshire Lottery looks forward to working with vendors to develop a secure sports betting system that engages our players and drives revenue in support of education in New Hampshire.”

All pro and college-level games are going to be available for legal bets, with some limited exceptions. Any college game that includes a state school or is played in the state is off-limits. Even without those games, the state expects to pick up $7.5 million in tax revenue by the 2021 fiscal year. By the 2023 fiscal year, when the industry has matured, it anticipates tax revenue of over $13 million.