New Hampshire’s sports bettors will be able to legally wager on next year’s Super Bowl after the state formally okayed a contract between the state lottery and betting operator DraftKings.
On Monday, the New Hampshire Executive Council, which advises Gov. Chris Sununu, voted 3-1 in favor of a contract in which DraftKings will provide a land-based and mobile betting product for the New Hampshire Lottery. The announcement is something of a formality, having been leaked to the public last week.
The six-year deal, which includes the possibility of two two-year extensions, involves both digital and retail wagering. The state expects mobile wagering will be up and running by January 2020, while the maximum 10 retail sportsbooks are expected to start opening come the spring.
Gov. Sununu said the state had “moved fast to get this done and the deal is a win for New Hampshire.” No kidding. The deal calls for DraftKings to ante up 51% of mobile betting revenue and 50% of retail revenue to the state, a stiff price that ensured DraftKings beat out the rival companies vying for this (for the moment) near-monopoly in the state.
The state’s sports betting legislation allows for local residents to vote on whether or not they want to host a retail sportsbook. Voters in six cities have so far approved sportsbook launches, while other towns are expected to hold similar votes early in 2020.
Be it mobile or land-based, betting will be open to residents aged 18 years or older, but they won’t be allowed to wager on New Hampshire college teams or any college games taking place within the state.
New Hampshire also amended its deal with Greek operator Intralot, which already powers the state lottery. Intralot will be granted the right to offer limited types of wagers on existing lottery kiosks at retail points of sale, with the state claiming a 19.25% share of this revenue.
