New Hampshire, like many New England states, was founded as a place where people were free to do whatever they wanted. While that is so, it seems as though something got lost in translation because there are very few casino options available to residents nor visitors. While this may be unusual, considering the origins of the founding of the state, the restrictive nature of New Hampshire’s casino laws is not atypical of New England.

While the overall history of New Hampshire is one that has not been very friendly to casinos, it seems as though the tide is slowly but surely shifting. As neighboring states legalize casino-style gambling and reap the tax benefits therein, New Hampshire has had its back against the wall, so to speak. As such, the future looks very bright as it relates to legalized casino gambling in the state.

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Gambling in New Hampshire

The Granite State has fairly liberal gambling laws, but unfortunately, you won’t find any commercial or tribal casinos here. Casino games are available exclusively at the racetrack facilities, but they aren’t allowed to offer anything beyond the basic games like blackjack or roulette.

Pari-mutuel betting, on the other hand, is widely available. New Hampshire has some charity gambling events and operates its own lottery, but hasn’t passed any dedicated iGaming laws. As a result, local iGaming enthusiasts simply play on offshore sites.

New Hampshire Casinos

The “Live Free or Die” state isn’t so keen on the freedom to gamble at casinos – at least not in the traditional way we think of casinos.

The state does not house any licensed commercial casinos, and tribal gaming is not available. There are, however, charitable gaming laws that allow one to open a gaming establishment as long as they partner with a charity and agree to grant it 35% of their nightly take.

Because of those laws, there are now hundreds of small-scale “casinos” operating around the state.

Some are tiny and only consist of a few pull-tabs. Others are only open on weekends. However, you can also find several larger establishments with table games and poker rooms. For example, the Ocean Gaming Casino in Hampton hosts table games like blackjack, craps, roulette, and poker. You can play there from 12 pm to 1 am.

Slot machines remain illegal.

Up until July 2018, these gaming establishments were limited to a maximum bet of $4. This was increased to $10 with a new law signed by Governor Chris Sununu.

One other caveat regarding New Hampshire’s gaming establishments: any single charity can benefit from gaming donations on a maximum of ten days in a given 12-month period. As a result, many of these “casinos” partner with dozens of New Hampshire charities.

Along with the 35% in revenue that must be donated to charity, 10% must be given to the state.

You must be 21 to visit a New Hampshire gaming establishment, where alcohol is served.

Though there are a few casinos located across the state, they are not only few and far between, they are also nothing like the casinos you will find in Las Vegas or Atlantic City. Right now, the only legal type of gambling is charitable gambling. This means that the casinos that exist see more than 30% of their revenues go directly to charities. While this doesn’t necessarily affect individual players, it affects casino operators, who are not exactly chomping at the bit to open a casino where close to half of the revenue goes straight out the door.

All of that aside, there are poker games and table games such as roulette and blackjack available all days of the year.

New Hampshire Sportsbooks & Sports betting

Sports betting is not yet legal in New Hampshire.

After the Supreme Court returned the decision regarding the legality of sports betting to the states, Governor Chris Sununu said he was supportive of the idea, and state Sen. Lou D’Allesandro promised that if he is reelected in November 2018, he will introduce a sports betting bill as soon as the 2019 legislative session begins.

D’Allesandro believes sports betting could work electronically through the New Hampshire Lottery. He’s also spoken to representatives from Caesar’s about the possibility of setting up a sportsbook, although that would likely require the legislation to also legalize a commercial casino, which might be a step too far.

Fantasy sports gambling

Daily fantasy sports is legal in New Hampshire. In July 2017, Governor Chris Sununu signed HB 580-FN-A, legalizing participation in fantasy sports contests for money.

Vital to DFS operators as well as consumers, the bill does not issue a tax or any kind of license fee. DFS companies can simply register with the New Hampshire Lottery Commission and agree to follow common consumer protection practices, such as keeping player and prize funds separate from operational expenses. They’re also expected to provide resources to players with gambling addictions.

DFS Players must be at least 18 years old.

Animal racing

Horse racing is legal in New Hampshire. Sadly, Rockingham Park, the last racecourse in the state and one that once saw Seabiscuit race around its oval, closed its doors in 2016 after 110 years of existence.

All greyhound racecourses have closed as well.

With all these track closures in New Hampshire, off-track betting is now also in jeopardy. By state law, facilities are only allowed to offer simulcast wagering if they also host live racing. OTB locations have been granted a 36-month grace period to re-start live racing or else close their doors for good. The lone remaining OTB location in the state, Hinsdale OTB, only has time until early 2019 to meet this requirement.

Until then, you can place wagers on horse and greyhound races from all over the country, provided you are at least 21 years old.

New Hampshire Poker Games

Thanks to the wide range of charitable gaming establishments in New Hampshire, players can find nearly 100 different poker tournaments in the state going on every week.

As with the change in casino betting that increased the maximum bets on table games from $4 to $10, the $4 limit on poker was removed entirely, replaced with a regulation that sets the maximum buy-in at $150 regardless of the table stakes. This made New Hampshire a far more interesting destination for players looking for a lot of competitive games in a relatively concentrated area.

You must be at least 21 years old to play at one of the many poker rooms in New Hampshire.

Legalizing online poker has been discussed, but as of today, it remains illegal.

Lottery

New Hampshire was the first state in the U.S. to adopt its own state constitution, and as one of the original 13 colonies, it’s tied for being the oldest state in the union. It also runs the oldest lottery of the 50 states, with what was then known as the New Hampshire Sweepstakes first introduced in 1964.

Along with scratch-off tickets and an instant win game called Fast Play, New Hampshire offers the following draw games:

• Pick 3
• Pick 4
• Keno 603
• Lucky for Life (multi-state)
• Megabucks (multi-state)
• Mega Millions (multi-state)
• Powerball (multi-state)

You must be at least 18 to purchase a lottery ticket.

Bingo

Small casinos created by charitable gaming laws have become king in New Hampshire, and along with the many non-traditional games permitted by the charitable gaming laws in the Granite State – such as poker, blackjack, and craps – good old-fashioned bingo is also widely available.

Hundreds of licensed charitable bingo games are held in New Hampshire every week. The Racing and Charitable Gaming Division lists all of them alphabetically by city/town on its website.

Bingo players in New Hampshire must be at least 18 years old.

New Hampshire Casino History

The biggest year for gambling in New Hampshire has to be 1933, when pari-mutuel betting on horse races was legalized. Shortly after this move was made, plenty of locations opened up to offer betting, including the racetracks at which the racing was happening. For a long time, the existence of horse betting meant that charitable gambling had a wider reach, but funding for the horseracing industry was axed shortly after 2010 after things began declining pretty dramatically. Though many of these horserace betting locations still exist and still facilitate pari-mutuel wagering, there are no new sites being erected due to the almost total lack of horseracing.

For background, the horserace industry was finally put to rest thanks to a measure passed in 2009 that added a 10% tax to all winning bets. This essentially drove any and all gambling money away from New Hampshire racetracks and killed the industry. In a way, this killed most charitable gambling options.

As we look towards the future, there is a large movement to legalize casino-style gambling. In 2014 alone, for example, more than 5 different measures were introduced that would have legalized casino gambling in one form or another. Though none of these measures gained enough of a foothold to be voted upon and passed, it does signal to people that there is a changing of the opinion of many lawmakers. While only 10 years ago you would be hard-pressed to find even one representative that was supportive of casino gambling, there are now multiple people who fit that description. With gambling growing in New England, New Hampshire can only hold out for so long.

While New Hampshire has quite a bit to offer locals and tourists in terms of entertainment, USA legal gambling wouldn’t be one of them. For the longest time, the state has been deeply against any kind of gambling. To make matters worse, the New Hampshire gambling laws can be rather frustrating as well.

Since the legislation surrounding gambling in NH is rather antiquated, there are some confusing aspects to it. Thus, if you want a better understanding of traditional and online gambling in New Hampshire, then you should consider the information below. This will provide you with all the facts and figures that you need to comprehend the current situation.

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Contents

Is Gambling Allowed in New Hampshire?

For all intents and purposes, the legal system of New Hampshire is very clear about betting of gambling – it is not allowed on a regular basis. The only form of “betting” or gaming that is permitted is the lottery that is run by the New Hampshire government. This has actually proven to be a rather lucrative concept and so, it is a practice that has continued for many years.
The New Hampshire government will make an exception for charitable events, however. To host such gambling events, though, you must first apply for a license to play casino games. Even then, there are several limitations that you have to abide by.
In such instances of “social gambling”, there is a legal gambling age in New Hampshire that you will have to follow. You must be at least 18 years of age for the lottery and bingo. For other forms of acceptable gambling, you must be at least 21 years old.

How is Gambling Defined in New Hampshire?

Now, let’s take a look at how gambling laws are specified within New Hampshire. The local authorities define gambling as:
“Risking something of value upon a future contingent event not under one’s control or influence, upon an agreement or understanding that something of value will be received in the event of a certain outcome.”

They are also termed as “games of chance” and as such, include table games such as baccarat, roulette, and more. The governing body also goes onto describe gambling machines as such: “any device or equipment which is capable of being used to play sweepstakes or games of chance and which discharges money, or anything that may be exchanged for money, cash equivalent, debit card, merchandise credit card, or opportunities to enter sweepstakes or play games of chance, or displays any symbol entitling a person to receive such a prize.”
As a result of this terminology, slot machines are also considered illegal within the limits of New Hampshire.

Are There Gambling Establishments Within New Hampshire?

Typically, just because gambling is outlawed doesn’t mean that there aren’t New Hampshire state casinos. After all, quite a few places get around these gambling regulations thanks to the presence of tribal lands within the state lines. Such areas are allowed to set up and run casinos since they aren’t always bound by the same laws.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the case in New Hampshire. As mentioned, the legislation here is quite strict and you will not find any kind of casinos in the area. So, if you are trying to locate a list of casinos in New Hampshire, you can be certain that there are none to find.

The Penalties for Traditional Gambling

The severity of the punishment for gambling depends on the party that is involved. For instance, if you only play for real money and are accused of simply placing bets, then the most that you can be charged with is a misdemeanour. The penalties for such gambling charges are quite minor and aren’t clearly defined.

On the other hand, if you are involved with running a casino, then you can be levied with a much harsher punishment. This is because such an offence is considered a class B felony. However, there is no mention of a jail sentence. Instead, the most common punishment is a fine of up to $5000 a day for every day that you have conducted any form of betting.

Placing Bets on Sports in New Hampshire

For the longest time, you were only allowed to place bets on horse racing. You could do this on live events or races that took place in other states. Still, it was a rather restrictive affair and you couldn’t place any other wagers, apart from these.

Thanks to new legislation, though, this is all about to change. The state recently voted to legalize sports betting, like much of the rest of the USA. Due to this, individuals can now place bets on most kinds of sports, including those like football, baseball, and basketball.
With the new rule in effect, the answer to the question “is Bovada legal in New Hampshire?” may actually be a yes. Of course, the state authorities are still figuring out the logistics of this new law. More will be known when the law is finally enacted.

The State of Online Gambling in New Hampshire

Since online gambling is on the rise, you may be trying to figure out if there are any New Hampshire online gambling laws in place. Well, for the most part, the legislation hasn’t been changed for decades. Due to this, most of the enforcements are directed towards casinos. After all, earlier New Hampshire authorities couldn’t have predicted how the internet would evolve.

So, does this mean that New Hampshire online gambling is legal? Well, not exactly. While there are no laws banning online casinos in New Hampshire state, there aren’t any legalizing them either. So, for the present, you can consider it somewhat of a grey area.

This ambiguity regarding online casinos does provide you with a gambling opportunity, however. Since New Hampshire authorities aren’t strictly monitoring the situation, you can now gamble online, without having to work under the restrictions that casinos are under.

Are There Penalties for Online Activities?

Since the legal situation surrounding online gambling New Hampshire isn’t all that clear, you may be wondering about the penalties. For example, can you be penalized for engaging in such online activities or visiting casinos? Well, as mentioned, the New Hampshire authorities aren’t all that interested in these casinos.

While there are very much aware that these casinos exist, they don’t really make too much of an effort in preventing people from visiting them. In fact, one of the more recent events shows that New Hampshire lawmakers still don’t want to interfere with online activities or casinos too much.

When certain New Hampshire authorities tried to extend the Wire Act to casinos, this move was shot down. Instead, lawmakers reiterated that it was only meant for sports betting. In this sense, it appears that there will be very little monitoring of offshore casino websites in the future as well.

Using Offshore Casinos

If you were to look up, “is online poker legal in New Hampshire?” you would discover that the answer isn’t quite as straightforward as you would have hoped. This is a result of the rather confusing state of online gambling NH and the rest of the United States. In short, most authorities don’t know what to do with this newer version of online gambling.

It is due to this that you are unlikely to find New Hampshire online casinos. If you wish to play online table games or try your hand at online mobile slots real money, then you are going to need to visit an offshore site. Technically, the New Hampshire government doesn’t have any jurisdiction over such casinos.

Since there are in a separate location, in fact, they don’t fall under most of the online gambling laws that exist within the United States. Thus, you should be able to visit and play on these casino sites without any fear of repercussions, online or otherwise.

Selecting Appropriate Offshore Casinos

While there is no denying that offshore casinos are the way to go, it is still important to know which ones to select. To start with, it is often best to opt for recognized or well-reputed online casinos. These have quite a few patrons and as such, are used to offering up a higher quality of online service. What’s more, they are rather reliable as well.

On a similar note, you can also try to look for casinos that have received an online license or certification by a foreign agency. In these circumstances, the casinos are carefully monitored to ensure that they are following a certain set of online regulations and standards.
Since you are working from within the confines of the United States, you will have to find a casino that caters to American players. There are quite a few that don’t so you will have to do some research beforehand. You should also keep in mind that you will have to follow the minimum age requirements set by the casino and not those that are present in your home state.

When choosing such casinos, consider ones that make online payments quick and simple. In particular, look out for the ones that accept the kind of credit cards or payment systems that you use. It is just as important to ensure that all online transactions are completely private and secure.

The laws regarding gambling in New Hampshire are constantly changing and evolving. Therefore, it can be quite difficult to predict what will happen next. Fortunately for gamblers, things do look rather hopeful. More and more New Hampshire lawmakers are beginning to understand the benefit that online casinos can have for the local economy.

Until these issues are sorted out, though, you still have plenty of online options available to you. There are numerous offshore casinos that will provide you with access to the online games and services that you are looking for. In this sense, you are only moments away from a wonderful and exciting virtual experience. What’s more, you can even stand the chance to win money for yourself as well!

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