New Hampshire sports betting: DraftKings, rules & 18+ age for 2026

Is sports betting legal in New Hampshire?

Yes. New Hampshire legalized sports wagering through HB 480 in 2019, and mobile sports betting launched on December 30, 2019.

• The state's model is different from casino-tethered markets because New Hampshire did not need a commercial casino license holder to serve as the gatekeeper.
• Instead, the New Hampshire Lottery Commission was authorized to select sports wagering agents through a competitive process and to favor bids that returned a strong percentage of wagering revenue to the state.

That bidding structure is the reason New Hampshire became a single-operator market. DraftKings won the original contract and remains the exclusive digital sportsbook.

• In February 2026, the state approved a two-year contract extension covering July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028.
• The law itself technically permits as many as five mobile wagering agents, but the current contract means bettors have one regulated app today.

DraftKings: New Hampshire's only mobile sportsbook

Which sports can you bet on in New Hampshire?

DraftKings offers New Hampshire bettors the major U.S. professional leagues plus college sports that satisfy the state's event restrictions, international soccer, tennis, golf, combat sports, motorsports and many secondary markets. New Hampshire has no major-league franchise of its own, so the state's fan base naturally overlaps with nearby Boston teams such as the Patriots, Celtics, Red Sox and Bruins.

The college rules are more precise than a simple "no New Hampshire colleges" statement. State law prohibits ordinary collegiate events involving a college primarily located in New Hampshire and collegiate events that take place in New Hampshire. It also prohibits high school sports everywhere and amateur events where participants are primarily under 18.

Bet types & live betting in New Hampshire

For eligible events, New Hampshire law defines sports wagering broadly enough to cover straight bets, moneylines, spreads, totals, teasers, parlays, proposition bets, futures and in-game wagering. The Lottery must approve categories and wager types, so the final menu is still subject to regulatory approval and DraftKings' trading decisions.

• Moneylines: pick the outright winner of an eligible event. See what moneyline means.
• Point spreads: wager on a team adjusted by a handicap.
• Totals: bet over or under a posted combined score.
• Player and team props: available when the underlying event and prop type are approved.
• Parlays: combine multiple selections for a larger payout and lower hit probability. See our parlay guide.
• Live betting: wager after an event starts as odds update in real time. See our live betting guide.

One strategic limitation is unavoidable: because there is only one regulated mobile book, you cannot use normal line shopping inside New Hampshire. You can still compare different market types within DraftKings and decide whether a price offers value, but you do not have competing legal apps posting alternative numbers on the same event.

Retail sportsbooks in New Hampshire

Retail wagering is more substantial than the original launch footprint now suggests. The New Hampshire Lottery currently lists five DraftKings sportsbook locations. They combine betting kiosks with screens, seating and live sports viewing, while mobile registration remains fully remote - you do not need to visit a retail book before using the app.

If you prefer mobile wagering, all five venues are optional. Create your account online, complete identity checks, allow geolocation and place wagers from anywhere physically inside New Hampshire. Retail locations mainly add the social sportsbook experience, cash access and a dedicated place to watch games.

Why New Hampshire still has no legal online casino

New Hampshire sports betting should not be confused with regulated online casino gaming. The state does not license real-money online slots, blackjack, roulette or live-dealer casino games. Its legal online gambling products include state Lottery offerings and regulated sports wagering, but not a commercial iGaming market comparable with New Jersey, Michigan or Pennsylvania.

Lawmakers have considered broader online gaming. SB 168 in the 2025 session proposed a regulated online casino framework, but the bill was laid on the table and ultimately classified as inexpedient to legislate later that year.

• No enacted 2026 law has replaced it.
• For practical purposes, bettors should treat real-money online casino gaming as unavailable in New Hampshire unless and until the legislature creates a licensing framework.

How New Hampshire compares to other states

New Hampshire is an unusual combination: a low minimum age, a single mobile operator and one of the highest state revenue shares in U.S. sports betting.

• That creates a very different consumer market from neighboring Massachusetts and Maine, both of which offer multiple mobile sportsbooks.
• The trade-off is straightforward - New Hampshire captures a large share of sportsbook revenue for public purposes, but bettors give up competition on odds, app features and promotions.

New Hampshire's 18+ threshold is especially important for readers comparing neighboring states. A bettor who is legally eligible in New Hampshire at 18 may not be eligible after crossing into Massachusetts or Maine. Age and geolocation rules always follow the jurisdiction where the wager is actually placed.

How to sign up for DraftKings in New Hampshire

New Hampshire has one of the simpler account-opening processes because registration is remote and only one sportsbook is available. You can create a DraftKings account from a phone or computer, but the platform must verify both your identity and your physical location before accepting a legal wager.

New Hampshire sportsbook revenue share and taxes

New Hampshire is often described as having a 51% sportsbook "tax," but the more accurate description is a contractual revenue share.

• The original competitive bidding process required operators to state what percentage of sports wagering revenue they would return to the state, and DraftKings won exclusivity with a very high offer.
• Under the current arrangement, the state receives 51% of mobile gross gaming revenue and 50% of retail gross gaming revenue, subject to the contract's permitted adjustments and promotional deductions.

The February 2026 contract extension keeps DraftKings in place through June 30, 2028. The same amendment also changed the promotional deduction treatment for retail wagering. For bettors, the practical point is not the contract accounting itself; it is that New Hampshire deliberately chose state revenue maximization over a broad field of competing sportsbooks.

Player winnings remain federally taxable income. New Hampshire does not impose a broad individual wage income tax, but tax treatment can depend on personal circumstances and federal reporting rules. This page is not tax advice; keep records of wagers and consult a qualified tax professional if you have material gambling winnings or losses.

Responsible gambling resources in New Hampshire

The New Hampshire Lottery requires sports wagering controls intended to reduce gambling harm.

• State law calls for age verification, identity verification, daily, weekly and monthly wager limits consistent with responsible gambling practices, and a voluntary self-exclusion program.
• DraftKings also provides account-level tools such as deposit limits, cooling-off periods and self-exclusion.

New Hampshire sports betting FAQ

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