Betting in New Hampshire

New Hampshire didn’t land on DraftKings by circumstance. The state ran a formal RFP where operators bid on how much revenue they were willing to return to the Lottery in exchange for market exclusivity. DraftKings’ bid topped out at up to 51% of mobile revenue to the state, an amount which no other competitor was willing to match.

That structure makes NH almost entirely unique. Instead of using competition to drive consumer value, the state chose maximum revenue capture, trading variety for a single, high-yield partnership.

For bettors, it means access to a polished platform with deep menus - but no line-shopping, no competitive pressure shaping pricing, and none of the promo battles seen in multi-operator states.

Under the DraftKings contract, New Hampshire receives 50–51% of online sportsbook revenue - a number unmatched anywhere in the country outside tribal compacts.

Because the state earns more with every percentage point of hold, NH doesn’t chase additional operators or a more competitive structure.

It’s a system built for state revenue, not market variety, and bettors feel that in a model where consistency beats creativity and pricing tends to stay firm and promos scarce.

New Hampshire residents can bet on all college teams, including in-state programs like UNH, Dartmouth, Keene State, and others.

However, the state draws a hard line at college player props, banning individual-athlete markets entirely.

It’s one of the stricter college rules in New England and shapes the betting menu during March Madness and college football season. Team markets stay wide open - but individual stats are off the board.

Traditional DFS platforms like DraftKings, FanDuel, and Yahoo operate freely under New Hampshire law. But the state draws a firm boundary at fixed-prop, “vs. the house” Pick ’Em products, classifying them as unlicensed sports wagering. That makes them legal only for operators holding the state’s sportsbook contract — and DraftKings is the only one with that approval.

Peer-to-peer Pick ’Em, however, remains completely accessible. PrizePicks and other operators offer peer-to-peer fantasy formats that fit within the state’s skill-based framework, giving players a legal way to build prop-style cards without crossing into sportsbook territory.

Because NH has neither iGaming nor multiple sportsbook operators, sweepstakes casinos and social sportsbooks play a noticeably larger role than in nearby states.

These platforms operate under federal sweepstakes law, using dual-currency prize systems that keep them legal even without state authorization.

For bettors, they provide the choice and variety that the regulated market can’t offer - from casino-style gameplay to alternative sports-pick formats.

New Hampshire prohibits sportsbooks from offering markets on elections, award shows, reality TV, or cultural outcomes.

But residents can legally access federally regulated prediction markets, which operate under CFTC oversight rather than state gambling law.

These platforms allow speculation on political races, economic indicators, and cultural shifts - categories DraftKings sportsbook can’t legally take bets on.