New Hampshire Sports Betting

DraftKings is the only legal sportsbook in New Hampshire. It runs the only app and all five locations you can walk into. No other book — Fanatics, bet365, BetMGM, FanDuel — can take a bet here while DraftKings holds its exclusive deal.

Source: New Hampshire Lottery, September 2026. The law allows up to ten in-person sportsbooks, but voters in each town have to approve one before it can open there.

All five retail locations sit inside casinos, and some of those casinos won't let you through the door unless you're 21, even though you can legally bet at 18 in New Hampshire. If you're 18 to 20, stick with the app, or call ahead before you make the drive.

In-person betting is also fading fast. In March 2026, walk-in bets made up $4.6 million of the $81.3 million New Hampshire bettors wagered that month — about 5.7%, down roughly 36% from a year earlier. Almost everyone bets on their phone now.

If an app advertises to you in New Hampshire and it isn't on the list above, the state doesn't regulate it. Offshore sites won't give you any of New Hampshire's protections, you can't take a complaint to the Lottery Commission about them, and you have no way to force them to pay you.

Is sports betting legal in New Hampshire?

Yes. Governor Chris Sununu signed House Bill 480 on July 12, 2019, and the first legal bets went down on December 30 that year. Sununu himself put money on the Patriots at a Manchester pub to kick things off.

The law is RSA 287-I, and it allows two ways to bet: the DraftKings app, and DraftKings sportsbooks you can visit. Both are up and running today.

The New Hampshire Lottery Commission both regulates sports betting and acts as the business partner that hired the operator. The New Hampshire Gambling Regulatory Oversight Authority keeps an eye on gaming more broadly.

The money the state collects goes to the Education Trust Fund, with 2.5% set aside for problem gambling support. Sports betting has sent more than $172 million to that fund since it launched.

In February 2026, the Lottery extended DraftKings' exclusive deal for another two years, running from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2028. And in February 2025, the House voted down a bill to raise the betting age from 18 to 21, 215 to 140.

How old do you have to be to bet on sports in New Hampshire?

You need to be 18. That puts New Hampshire in a very small group of states where you don't have to wait until 21. DraftKings checks your date of birth against public records, and asks for a photo ID if that check comes back empty.

If you're 18, 19 or 20, the retail sportsbooks sit inside casinos that may turn you away at the door, so the app is your safer option. And the 18+ rule stops at the state line — Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont all make you wait until 21, so your account won't help you there.

Lawmakers have tried to push the age up and may try again. As of September,2026, it's still 18.

18+. Gambling problem? Call 603-724-1605 or 1-800-GAMBLER.

Do you have to live in New Hampshire to bet there?

No. If you're 18+ and you're standing inside New Hampshire, you can bet. Where you live doesn't matter, only where you are.

That means visitors, commuters, people up for the weekend and anyone stopping on I-93 can all sign up and play. You can create your account from anywhere, but you can't place a bet until your phone confirms you're in the state.

It cuts the other way too: if you live in Manchester and you're in Boston for the day, you can't place a New Hampshire bet from there. Your account doesn't come with you across the state line.

How does location checking work in New Hampshire?

Every time you try to place a bet, DraftKings checks where your phone is. It uses GPS, nearby Wi-Fi and your cell signal to confirm you're inside New Hampshire. If it can't confirm it, the bet won't go through. This isn't DraftKings being fussy — each state licenses its own betting, and New Hampshire's license only covers bets placed in New Hampshire.

On your phone, you must enable the app to see your location. On a computer, you'll install a small plug-in that does the same job through your browser.

Two things this means for you day to day:

• Border towns are where it gets fiddly. If you're in Nashua, Salem, Seabrook, Hinsdale or anywhere along the Connecticut River, you're close enough to another state that a shaky GPS reading can put you on the wrong side of the line. Getting closer to the border makes rejections more likely, not less.
• Bets you've already placed are fine. Put a bet on in Concord, then drive to Boston — that bet still stands and still pays. You just can't place a new one, and usually can't cash out early, until you're back in the state.

What You Can Bet On in New Hampshire

You get the full menu of pro and college sports, with one big exception: anything connected to a New Hampshire college. You can bet during games as well as before them. The state doesn't allow betting on things that aren't sports, so you won't find the Oscars or elections on the app here.

Can you bet on college sports in New Hampshire?

Mostly yes, but not on any game involving a New Hampshire college, and not on any college game played in the state.

What you can bet on:

• Any college game that doesn't involve a New Hampshire school and isn't played here — Alabama–Georgia, the College Football Playoff, your whole March Madness bracket, player props on out-of-state athletes.
• A game played in New Hampshire that's one leg of a tournament based outside the state, like an NCAA Tournament regional in Manchester, as long as no New Hampshire school is in it. Single-game lines included.
• The tournament outright when a New Hampshire school is in the field — a futures bet on who wins the whole thing.

What you can't bet on:

• Any game involving the UNH Wildcats or the Dartmouth Big Green, wherever it's played. The rule follows the team, so a UNH game in Maine is off-limits too.
• Individual games involving a New Hampshire school, even inside a tournament. State law only allows the bet when it settles on the outcome of the entire tournament.
• A college tournament staged entirely in New Hampshire, even if every team in it comes from out of state.

This comes straight from state law under RSA 287-I. It isn't a limit on your account, and it hits every bettor in New Hampshire the same way.

What the DraftKings app is actually like in New Hampshire

It's a strong app, arguably one of the best in the country.

What works well:

• Market depth is as good as it gets — every major league, deep player props, same-game parlays.
• Live betting keeps up with the game rather than lagging behind it.
• Withdrawals are fast by industry standards, with most electronic methods landing inside two business days.
• The bet slip is clean and the app stays stable through Sunday NFL traffic.
• You get the same product in New Hampshire that DraftKings runs everywhere else. There's no watered-down version for this state.

What doesn't:

• You can't shop for a better price, because there's no second app to shop at.
• Promos are thinner than in states where books compete for your account.
• The national DraftKings welcome offer is void in New Hampshire, so there's no code for us to give you. DraftKings does run offers inside the app for New Hampshire players, so check the promotions tab in your account rather than trusting a national headline.

What to Check Before You Claim a DraftKings Offer in New Hampshire

Four things decide whether a New Hampshire offer is worth taking:

• Bonus bets aren't cash. You don't get the stake back, so a winning $50 bonus bet at even money returns $50, not $100.
• They expire fast. DraftKings bonus bets usually die seven days after they land. Offers that drip out over weeks run on the same clock, and anything you forget to claim is gone.
• Minimum odds apply. Many offers only count if your qualifying bet is −500 or longer, so backing a heavy favorite won't trigger anything.
• Rollover. Some offers make you bet the bonus money through once or more before you can withdraw whatever you win from it.

DraftKings is the only sportsbook, but it isn't the only place to play. You can use prediction market apps, social sportsbooks, daily fantasy platforms and social casinos all over the state.

One thing to know before you sign up for any of them. None is a licensed New Hampshire sportsbook, so if something goes wrong you can't take it to the Lottery Commission the way you can with DraftKings. Check the age requirements as well — some are 18, some are 21 — so don't assume New Hampshire's 18+ rule carries over.

Prediction Market Apps in New Hampshire

Prediction market apps lets you buy and sell contracts on the outcome of an event, including who wins a game. The price moves as other people trade, a bit like a stock. They answer to a federal agency, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, instead of the New Hampshire Lottery, which is how they run in most states without a state license.

So far, nobody has settled whether these apps are actually allowed to offer sports contracts without a state license, and the answer keeps changing. One federal appeals court sided with Kalshi back in April 2026, another went against it on August 28. New Jersey has asked the Supreme Court to sort it out. Massachusetts didn't wait, and won an order against Kalshi. New Hampshire hasn't gone after any of them, so you can use them here for now. Just don't be surprised if that shifts.

Social Sportsbooks in New Hampshire 

 

Social Sportsbooks use coins instead of cash. You play with one kind of coin for fun, and a second kind can be traded in for prizes. Because you're not technically betting money, nobody regulates them as gambling (which also means there's no regulator to help you if something goes wrong).

Daily Fantasy Sports Platforms in New Hampshire

Daily fantasy Sports isn't really betting. You pick players or build a lineup and go up against other people rather than against the house. New Hampshire has allowed DFS platforms since Governor Sununu signed House Bill 580 in July 2017.

DraftKings Pick6 doesn't offer its college football or college basketball contests in New Hampshire. So the college restriction you run into on the sportsbook shows up here too, just in a slightly different shape.

Sports Betting for Beginners

If you’re new to sports betting in New Hampshire, you likely have questions: How much should you be betting? Where should you be betting? How do you find the best odds? Every sport and bet type comes with different nuances.

Check out our sports betting tips for beginners so you can get started. 

Sports Betting Glossary

Sports betting comes with its own language and terminology -- favorites and underdogs, spreads and money lines, over/unders and props, juice and vig and so much more. It can all be a bit overwhelming and intimidating for newer betting enthusiasts, so be sure to consult our sports betting glossary for detailed definitions on all the main terms.

Check out our sports betting glossary to get up to speed with every term you might need to know before a parlay or prop bet.

Sports Betting Mistakes to Avoid

It’s important to stay disciplined and not overextend yourself in New Hampshire. There will always be ups and downs, but if you stay true to our nine mistakes to avoid, your sports betting experience will be a much more enjoyable one.

Here are some sports betting mistakes to avoid.

New Hampshire has no income tax, so your betting winnings cost you $0 in state tax. You still owe the IRS taxes on everything you win, whether or not anyone sends you a form. Report your winning bets as Other Income on Schedule 1 of your 1040.

The reporting threshold went up to $2,000 for 2026. DraftKings has to send you a Form W-2G when a win is at least $2,000 and pays at least 300 times what you staked. It has to be both. That's why most sports bets never generate one — win $2,100 off a $100 bet and you clear the dollar amount but not the 300x test. Win $2,100 off a $5 bet and you'll get the form. From 2027 that $2,000 goes up with inflation.

24% gets held back when your profit on a bet tops $5,000 and it also pays 300 times your stake.

You can only deduct 90% of your losses now. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed July 4, 2025, capped loss deductions at 90% starting with the 2026 tax year. You still can't deduct more than you won.

In practice: say you win $12,000 across the year and lose $10,000. You're up $2,000 in actual cash.

You can only deduct gambling losses if you itemize (list your individual deductions). If you take the standard deduction, you can't deduct a single dollar of losses, so you pay federal tax on all $12,000 while your actual profit was $2,000.

How much should you set aside? If you itemize, put away about 25% of what you're up. If you take the standard deduction, set aside 25% of everything you win, not what you're up. Keep a running log of your bets with dates, amounts, wins and losses. The IRS expects you to have kept it as you went, and DraftKings' year-end statement won't show your losses in a way that satisfies them.

Everyone's tax situation is different, so talk to a tax professional about your own, especially if you're anywhere near the line on itemizing.

New Hampshire Betting Taxes vs. The States Next Door

New Hampshire is far the best state in New England for this. 

One important thing: If you live in Massachusetts and drive up to bet in New Hampshire, Massachusetts still taxes you as a resident. Crossing the border doesn't get you out of your home state's rules.

Why New Hampshire Has Only One Sportsbook

Because the state sold the exclusive rights to DraftKings.

When New Hampshire legalized in 2019, the law let the Lottery sign up to five different apps. It ran a bidding process, and DraftKings bid on the basis of being the only one. In exchange for a market with no competition, DraftKings agreed to hand over 51% of what it makes online and 50% of what it makes in person against a national average closer to 21%.

If New Hampshire added one or two more apps, DraftKings' cut to the state would drop from 51% to 21%. The state would need a lot more betting across a lot more apps just to break even on that, so neither side has much reason to change anything.

By the state's own scorecard, it's working. In fiscal 2025, New Hampshire bettors placed more than 27 million bets worth over $815 million, up roughly 9% on the year before. Sports betting sent a record $39 million to public education, beating the previous record of $37 million. Total bets since launch are approaching $4.5 billion, and the Education Trust Fund has taken in more than $172 million since December 2019. Per person, New Hampshire ranks third in the country for state revenue from sports betting.

What One NH Sportsbook Means for Your Odds and Promos

It means you can't shop around. In Massachusetts, if you don't like a −115 price you can check six other apps and might find −110 or −108. Taking the best price available, week after week, is one of the few things a regular bettor can actually do to improve their results. In New Hampshire, that option doesn't exist.

Competition is also what drives promos. DraftKings keeps around 49 cents on the dollar here against roughly 87 cents in New Jersey, so any offer might be smaller than the ones it runs in cheaper states.

Bottom line: Yes, on prices and promos you're getting a worse deal than someone in Boston. What you get back is the tax side: nothing to the state here, against 5% on everything a Massachusetts bettor wins with no deduction for losses.

Will New Hampshire ever get more sportsbooks?

Not before June 30, 2028, and probably not then either.

DraftKings has the exclusive rights through June 30, 2028 under the extension the Lottery signed in February 2026; the deal could stretch to 2030. Nothing's changing before the current term runs out.

For the market to open after that, one of two things would have to happen. Either the Lottery decides not to extend and goes looking for multiple operators — which would cut its own revenue, since that 51% drops to 21% the moment a second book gets licensed. Or lawmakers change RSA 287-I to force competition, overriding the deal.

Realistically: expect one sportsbook in New Hampshire through 2028 at least. If you want an early signal, watch for the Lottery's bidding notices in late 2027.

How to Place your First Bet in New Hampshire

The whole process takes about 10 minutes on your phone. You only need to be in New Hampshire for the last step.

1. Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app from the App Store or Google Play, or head to their website. (Make sure it's the Sportsbook app. DraftKings has separate apps for fantasy and casino).
2. Sign Up. Enter your legal name, date of birth, address, email and the last four digits of your Social Security number. Use your real details exactly as they appear on your ID.
3. Get verified. Most accounts clear in seconds. If yours doesn't, you'll have to upload a photo of your license, state ID or passport.
4. Turn on location. On your phone, allow the app to see where you are. On a computer, install the plug-in when it asks.
5. Add money. Debit card, PayPal and online banking are the quickest options. Whatever you deposit with is usually what you'll have to withdraw to, so pick something you're happy using both ways.
6. Grab the welcome offer before you bet (if available). Check the New Hampshire terms and conditions.
7. Find your bet and place it. Pick a sport, tap the odds you want, and your bet slip opens. Type in how much you want to wager, check the payout it shows you, and confirm.

Your First Bet, Worked Through

Say you want to put $20 on the Patriots at −110 on the spread.

That −110 means you'd risk $110 to win $100. So your $20 wins you $18.18 if the Patriots cover, and you get your $20 back too. So, $38.18 total. If they don't cover, you lose the $20. A price like +150 works the other way: your $20 wins $30, so $50 comes back.

There are three bets worth learning first. The spread gives the underdog a head start, so the favorite has to win by more than a set number. The moneyline is just picking who wins, with the prices adjusted to match. The total (you'll also see over/under) is a bet on how many points both teams score combined, no matter who wins.

Stick to single bets on those three to start.

18+ and in New Hampshire. Only bet what you can afford to lose. Gambling problem? Call 603-724-1605 or 1-800-GAMBLER.

Deposits, Withdrawals and How Fast You Get Paid in New Hampshie

DraftKings NH gives you around eleven ways to put money in and nine ways to take it out. You can't deposit with a credit card. In most cases you'll have to withdraw using whatever you deposited with.

DraftKings approves withdrawals on their end, usually within 24 hours. Then your bank or wallet actually moves the money, and that's where most of the waiting happens. So "3–5 business days" starts counting from approval, not from when you hit the button.

Your first withdrawal is usually the slowest, because they finish verifying who you are before any money leaves.

How New Hampshire Compares to Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont

New Hampshire has the fewest apps in New England and the friendliest tax treatment. It's also the only one where you can bet at 18.

Massachusetts is where you shop for the best price, New Hampshire is where you keep the most of what you win, and Maine and Vermont land in an awkward middle with neither real competition nor a friendly tax bill.

Can you use your New Hampshire account in another state?

DraftKings operates in most states that allow betting, so the same login works in Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont and beyond, but the second you cross out of New Hampshire, you're playing by that state's rules, its license and its age limit.

Here's what that looks like:

• Driving into Massachusetts or Maine. The app still works, but you have to be 21 in both. If you're 18, 19 or 20 with a New Hampshire account, you can't legally bet in either one. The markets shift too (Massachusetts has its own college rules).

• Coming to New Hampshire from out of state. Same idea in reverse. Your existing DraftKings account works fine here, and New Hampshire's rules apply while you're in the state, including the block on UNH, Dartmouth and any college game played here. Any other app outside DraftKings —say FanDuel or BetMGM— won't take a New Hampshire bet at all.

• Crossing the line every day. There's no penalty and nothing to switch on or off. Your location gets checked at the exact moment you place a bet.

• Bets you placed before you crossed. They're safe. A bet you legally placed in New Hampshire settles normally no matter where you are when the game ends. You usually can't cash out early from out of state, and you can't place anything new, but nothing you've already got riding is at risk.

Common New Hampshire Betting Problems and How to Fix Them

• It says you're not in New Hampshire, but you are:
  • Turn location services all the way on for the app and set it to precise.
  • Switch off any VPN.
  • Come off Wi-Fi and use cell data instead, since a router registered to an out-of-state address can throw your location off.
  • Move away from the state line and out from under big buildings.
  • On a computer, reinstall the plug-in. 

• Your ID check failed. You used a nickname instead of your legal name, an old address, a typo in your Social Security digits. 
  • Fix the details first, then upload a clear photo of a valid government ID with all four corners showing. If you've moved recently or don't have much credit history, you're more likely to get kicked to manual review, which usually clears in a day or two.

• Your deposit got declined.
  • Check the account is in your own name. One in your partner's or your parents' name will bounce.
  • Make sure you're not trying a credit card, which DraftKings doesn't take.
  • Some banks block gambling transactions by default, and a quick call to them usually sorts it.

• Your withdrawal is taking forever.
  • First check whether DraftKings has approved it or it's still sitting pending. First withdrawals run slow because they finish verifying you before releasing anything.
  • Depositing with one method and withdrawing to another will also add time.
  • Bonus money you haven't finished rolling over isn't withdrawable yet.

• Your betting limit got cut. Books lower the maximum stake for accounts they think are too sharp. It's a business decision, not a rule you broke, and there's no real appeal. In other states you'd just move to another app.

• A college game isn't there. If it involves UNH or Dartmouth, or it's being played in New Hampshire, that's state law rather than anything to do with your account.

• The app is down. Check DraftKings' status page and social accounts to confirm it's on their end. Don't go to an offshore site to fill the gap; nobody regulates them, the Lottery can't help you, and you've got no way to make them pay if they decide not to.

How to Raise a Complaint in New Hampshire

Start with DraftKings, then take it to the New Hampshire Lottery Commission if that doesn't work.

1. Contact DraftKings support through the app or website. Include your account details, the date and time, the bet ID or transaction number, and screenshots. Save everything, including whatever reference number they give you.
2. If DraftKings won't fix it, the New Hampshire Lottery Commission regulates sports betting here and takes complaints about licensed operators. You'll find contact details at nhlottery.com. Send them everything from step one, including what DraftKings told you and when.

It's important that you move quickly — complaints about settled bets get much harder to unwind as time passes—, and that you say exactly what you want to happen, whether that's a bet re-graded, your money released or your account turned back on.

Responsible Gambling Tools and Where to Get Help in New Hampshire

If you're betting more than you meant to, chasing losses with bigger bets, borrowing money to bet, hiding it from people close to you, or wagering to take the edge off stress rather than for fun — those are signs you need to pay attention to.

DraftKings provides responsible gambling resources and tools inside its app. Every one of them is free, takes less than a minute to set up, and nobody asks you why.

• Deposit limits. Cap how much you can put in per day, week or month. This is the most useful tool on the list, because it stops you before you're in a spot where you're chasing.

• Bet and time limits. Cap how much you can wager over a period, or how long you can spend in the app.

• Cooling-off periods. A short break you choose, from 72 hours to 30 days, and your account comes back on its own afterward.

• Self-exclusion. A longer, binding shutdown. New Hampshire set up a statewide self-exclusion program in 2025. You can get the forms through the NH Council on Problem Gambling or any licensed operator.

• Reality checks. Pop-ups that tell you how long you've been playing and where you stand.

Where to Get Help in New Hampshire

• NH Council on Problem Gambling: 603-724-1605 (free, confidential, 24/7). Online at nhproblemgambling.org. A nonprofit that offers information, referrals to counseling and treatment, and support for family members as well as bettors.

• 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537): national helpline, free and confidential, any time of day.

• NH Rapid Response Access Point: call or text 833-710-6477 for mental health and substance use crisis support.

• Gamblers Anonymous: meetings across New Hampshire, in person and online. Several are open meetings, so family and friends can come along.

• Gam-Anon: support built specifically for the families and partners of people with a gambling problem.

A New Hampshire Council for Responsible Gaming launched in April 2026 to expand prevention and treatment work as gambling grows in the state.