New Hampshire Sports Betting to Begin in January 2020

After Monday’s meeting of the New Hampshire Executive Council, sports betting in the state is on a path for a January launch. The Council approved the contract between the state’s Lottery and daily fantasy sports company DraftKings.

Although an agreement with another company like FanDuel could occur in the future, DraftKings stands as the lone recipient of the state’s sports betting operations, although the price tag for the exclusive contract is steep.

DraftKings will have to pay the state a whopping 51% of its revenue.

According to insiders, the state preferred DraftKings’ infrastructure, their mobile app and the company’s ability to fast track a January launch as the primary reasons for choosing the gaming company over other applying competitors.

New Hampshire Governor, Chris Sununu expressed enthusiasm for the deal with DraftKings in a prepared statement to the media, including a vote of confidence for the region’s most popular sports team.

“We moved fast to get this done, and the deal is a win for New Hampshire,” said Sununu. “We are partnering with a world-class company to provide a first-rate customer service experience.

“With today’s vote, everyone will now be able to bet on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in time for this year’s Super Bowl.”

Source: bostonglobe.com

After the confirmation of the contract, the next step for sports betting is to find more cities in the state to take a vote in the spring on whether to allow physical sportsbooks in their communities.

Six cities in New Hampshire recently approved sportsbooks including the townships of Franklin, Berlin, Claremont, Laconia, Manchester and Somersworth.

“The New Hampshire Lottery appreciates and respects the voting process in New Hampshire. With five cities voting to allow sports book retail locations, we can continue with the sports betting implementation process, developing a responsible system that engages players and drives revenue for education in New Hampshire,” said Charlie McIntyre, the agency’s executive director after the election day results were announced.

Source: unionleader.com

With more cities signing up for sportsbooks, bettors could be racing to casinos to sign up for an online account at the launch date.

According to the sports betting law in the state, customers will first have to sign up for an online account at a physical casino before being allowed to place bets via an online app.

When sports betting is available, no one under 18 will be able to bet in New Hampshire.

In another wrinkle, customers won’t be able to bet on the state’s college teams or on college games taking place within the state, regardless of where the teams come from.

DraftKings will run all sportsbooks locations in New Hampshire and will build an office in the state to facilitate their operations.

“We look forward to collaborating further with the New Hampshire Lottery to bring the DraftKings experience to sports fans in the Granite State,” said Matt Kalish, chief revenue officer and co-founder of DraftKings.

Source: bostonglobe.com

Lottery officials also expressed excitement at the news that the contract had been approved and signaled that an expeditious approach to a January start date would take place.

“We are working directly with DraftKings to implement a sports betting system that both engages players, while also ensuring all appropriate safeguards are in place,” said McIntyre. “The New Hampshire Lottery and DraftKings expect to launch mobile sports betting this January.”

Source: bostonglobe.com