New Hampshire’s Sports Betting Bill Heads to Senate for Approval

If the events remain on a positive course, it’s more than likely that New Hampshire will be the next state to legislate sports betting. The Bill HB480 which aims to regulate in-person, online and via mobile sports wagering in The Granite State was ed back to the Senate for a final chamber reading. The Senate Finance Committee…

…has granted the Bill an ‘ought to with amendment’ recommendation. If okayed, it will return back to the House for concurrence with any alterations. Should this process run with no obstacles, the bill will be forwarded to Governor, Chris Sununu, for the signature that will put the proposal into law.

Mobile Wagering, Age Verification, and Geolocation

The latest amendment to the bill puts the main focus on mobile betting in the state. With a population of 1.36m, the state ought to approve a maximum of five mobile operators to provide service. Suppliers that obtain a license would be obliged to apply age verification software. This should ensure that only consumers over the age of 18…

…could access services. In addition to this, geolocation software should limit mobile wagering to anywhere from inside the state’s boundaries. The Lottery Commission in New Hampshire should establish the wager limits on daily, weekly and monthly basis. This will be done either independently or through an agent “consistent with the best practices in addressing problem gambling” for mobile wagering.

The Best Offer Gets Granted

As far as outlined in the amendment, the Commission would only select operators for sportsbooks that could demonstrate their bids would provide the highest percentage of revenue for The Granite State. However, the precise cost of the permission…

… as well as the tax level is not yet clarified. Should the bill progress and be signed by Governor Sununu, the first legal sports wagers could be placed on or around July 1st, 2020.

Charade with the Wire Act

While HB480 has been progressing in the legislative process, NH has also been continuing a campaign against the Department of Justice (DoJ) and the revision of its 2011 ruling on the Wire Act. Just to remind, in January, the DoJ pointed out that the law’s prohibition applies to all forms of gambling…

…and not just sports wagering. However, April saw a different opinion, as the DoJ pointed out that the revision does not address the legality of interstate and online lotteries. NeoPollard Interactive, the vendor for the New Hampshire Lottery called the uncertainty regarding these two forms of gaming a “charade” which should come to an end.

Source:

“New Hampshire sports bill returns to Senate for chamber approval”, igamingbusiness.com, May 23, 2019.