New Hampshire has some rather interesting laws and regulations and while they are strict one can only wonder where things went wrong. New Hampshire was off to a great start in terms of legalising gambling activities. Some might even say this state was a bit of a trendsetter as it was the first to legalise lottery betting. Instead of riding the wave of success the region hasn’t had much expansion of gambling laws since then.

The very first form of legal gambling available in the state as horse racing which was legalised in 1933. There are two race tracks in New Hampshire namely the Rochester Fair and Rockingham Race Track. Each of these tracks has its own racebook. While racing is the oldest form of gambling available in the state it is believed to be a dying sport with little to no interest.

New Hampshire was the first state to legalise the lottery and did so in 1964. The New Hampshire Lottery is available both online and offline. The state lottery sells tickets in about 1,250 retail stores which include scratch-offs and lottos. The state lottery also has subscriptions available for purchase. The New Hampshire Lottery is quite popular, offering different local lottery options as well as interstate lotto drawings that include Mega Millions and Powerball.

Over a decade after the legalisation of the lottery the state legalised both poker and bingo in 1977 but only as charitable games. Raffles were later added to the range of legal charitable games on offer. In other words, charities are allowed to sell raffle tickets, host poker games or tournaments and offer bingo games. Most of the charities opt for poker and this game has become quite popular in the state over the past few years. There are some cash games available but there is a max buy-in cap of $150. On rare occasions, there are casino nights where games of chance are available. These games offer limits far lower than what’s offered at normal casinos which ultimately defeats the purpose.

Today there are a number of charity poker rooms available in New Hampshire and these have been dubbed New Hampshire casinos. While these poker rooms refer to themselves as casinos they are not legally allowed to offer any casino games unless there is a casino night such as the one mentioned above. Apart from this, you will find no traditional or even tribal casinos in New Hampshire. For an authentic casino gameplay residents are required to travel to neighbouring states with established and licensed casinos.

Sports betting was legalised in the state in July 2019 but delayed by the review and implementation of the new legislation. Today there is a number of sportsbooks and online sports betting options legally available in the state. 

New Hampshire like any other state has a number of authority figures that keep the gambling activities running honestly and fairly. While there are not that many legalised gambling options available in the state each legal options are strictly regulated.

This state has carefully written out regulations for all bingo gambling, casino nights and other gambling activities. The New Hampshire Racing and Charitable Gaming Division are in charge of all charitable gambling that takes place within the state. When Casino Nights are allowed players can take part in games such as poker, roulette and blackjack. Before any gameplay is possible players are expected to pay an admission fee/donation. After paying the required amount the players will be given their chips or funny money which can be used to place wagers throughout the evening.

Interestingly enough the Racing and Charitable Gaming Division is actually a division of the Lottery Commission. While it is known as the Racing and Charitable Gaming Division the division no longer really governs live racing, this is mainly because horse tracks are primarily used as charitable gaming facilities today. Most commonly this Gaming Division is responsible for charity casinos, poker rooms and simulcast racing.

The New Hampshire Lottery Commission is the head gaming authority in the state. This commission is in charge of all lottery products and payouts in New Hampshire. As mentioned above, the Lottery Commission is also the ‘parent organization’ of the Racing and Charitable Gaming Division.

In this state, there is also an established Gaming Regulatory Oversight Authority. This authority was established to ensure the integrity and public confidence when it comes to the regulation of gaming activities. The authority also has the ability to recommend the appropriate regulation for casino gambling within the state. The main objective of this body is to oversee all gaming commissions and ensure their independence, integrity and public accountability. They have the power to identify, review and propose necessary changes to any policies and practices within any of the current gaming commissions in the state.

A new division is currently in the works for the licensing and regulation of sports betting. The New Hampshire Lottery is in charge of establishing the new Division of Sports Wagering, drafting regulations and selecting operators for retail and online sportsbooks.