New Hampshire – Online Casinos & Gambling Regulations

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The Granite State does not regulate online casinos, therefore making local internet-based operations prohibited. Residents are still able to access countless sites though, most of which are licensed to operate in overseas jurisdictions. It is therefore the responsibility of the government to block access to these sites, which is akin to plugging a leak with a fishing net. While most of these casinos are completely legitimate operations, unregulated markets tend to attract the establishment of black market operations, due to the lack of oversight. Those of you who are still adamant about playing online will therefore need to take extra precautions before considering signing up with a site.

• Does the casino carry any kind of gambling license?
• What do trusted sources say about the site’s gambling authority?
• Will you be able to use your preferred payment methods?
• Are your preferred payment options supported?
• Will you be eligible for any promotions or loyalty programs?

Asking yourself some key questions can be a great way of forming an understanding of whether a site is legitimate and worthwhile. Getting all the necessary information to create an opinion of an establishment is usually the hard part though. At GoodLuckMate our writers have already done all of the hard work for you so that you have more time to focus on your own enjoyment.

Gambling Regulation

New Hampshire has provided its state-run lottery since 1964, making it one of the longest-running in the country. Sadly, this is where the state’s progressiveness ended when it comes to gambling. The state is particularly focused on the difference between games of chance and games of skill. That’s why Daily Fantasy Sports and table games like poker are readily available for residents, while games like slots remain prohibited. In one of the smoothest moves of the decade, the Fantasy Sports scene has managed to spread itself to almost every corner of the country purely on the basis of presenting itself as a game of skill, just like poker. 

Technically horse racing and simulcast wagering are also legal activities, however, there are no local horse tracks to fully take advantage of it. Sports betting saw a revival as recently as 2019 though, as DraftKings was chosen to partner up with New Hampshire’s lottery authority to provide a sportsbook application. This has also paved the way for the opening of several retail betting shops around the state. While this has been great news for resident players, there is currently little hope for the same treatment being applied to online casinos.

Localized Online Casinos

The biggest boon to localization options for US players came when a handful of states began regulating the market within their own jurisdictions. This created a legitimate US market that online casinos have been eager to be apart of for a very long time. This legitimate market that only accounted for a portion of the country was enough of a green light for the industry to create a real focus around US players.

Most casinos were already covering big US events like the Superbowl, as well as also being influenced by a lot of American culture. The regulated markets created by states like New Jersey only legitimized more competition and stronger localization options, such as more varied US-specific payment options. The current legislation makes it very unlikely for sites to offer specific localization features for New Hampshire residents, as they instead look at the country as a whole when it comes to unregulated states. 

Gambling with US Dollars

American players find themselves in a unique position of being a mainly unregulated country while still having wide availability of US dollar transactions and payment options. US dollars are typically used as a default currency being offered to players whose local currency is not supported. This means that the vast majority of online casinos around the world allow players to deposit and withdraw using dollars. There are also several dollar payment options that can vary from site to site, but usually covers a variety of payment cards, e-wallets and bank transfers. The use of cryptocurrencies has also seen a big rise over the past few years. Many players see this as a great alternative to using their bank when transacting online and the popularity has grown to the extent that you can even find online casinos that only accept cryptocurrencies.

Casinos in New Hampshire

Due to the issue the state has regarding games of chance, New Hampshire is currently home to no land-based casinos, tribal or otherwise. Instead, numerous poker rooms take the place of typical casinos, allowing players to wager with buy-ins of up to $150. The recent partnership with DraftKings has facilitated the allowance of both online and offline sports betting activities. This didn’t necessarily come out of nowhere either, as DraftKings was also the first sports betting operator to be established in the now regulated market of New Jersey. 

Recent years have also seen various other states opening up their regulations on sports betting, as the trend seems to start with Daily Fantasy Sports that then leads to a complete legislative rework to facilitate all sports betting activities. Typical casino games like slots don’t have that same poster child to put their foot in the door with and it, therefore, seems unlikely that there will be any changes coming to the scene anytime soon.