A New Hampshire online gambling bill has passed the state Senate, the first successful internet gambling vote by a Senate in 2023. That bill, SB 104, was drafted by Representative Tim Lang and narrowly passed the chamber despite concerns that legal iGaming could cannibalize land-based casinos in the state that provide Lucky 7 electronic games and historical horse racing. Charitable gaming operators in New Hampshire offer part of their revenue to the state to fund various charities, and many suggest that an expansion of online gaming could adversely affect these efforts.
In response to these concerns, an amendment was added to favor charitable gaming sites by banning the games they offer for iGaming. As a result, the New Hampshire online gambling bill limits the offering to table games, as brick-and-mortar casinos offer historical horse racing. The amendment also requires iGaming operators to inform players of the nearest land-based charitable casino and diverts web-based gaming revenue to fund community college scholarships.
Representative Lang argued that New Hampshire already has online gaming through its legal sports betting market, and online sports wagering has not affected charitable gaming revenue. The bill lists legal online games such as baccarat, online poker, craps, roulette, and blackjack and sets 18 years as the lowest gambling age. It grants the New Hampshire Lottery Commission the role of monitoring online casino gaming and holding a thorough bidding process while choosing operators.
The New Hampshire online gambling bill is tied to SB 120, a bill expanding charitable gaming max bets, which raises the betting limit from $10 to $50, tournament game buy-in and re-buy limits from $150 and $250 to $2,500, and table stake limits from $150 to $2,500 as well.
While the passage of the igaming bill is a significant step towards legalizing online casino gaming in New Hampshire, it still has to be approved by the House of Representatives, where its fate is uncertain. If the bill is approved, New Hampshire would join several other states in legalizing online casino gaming, a move that has been gaining momentum in recent years.