New Hampshire legalises sports betting
The Governor of New Hampshire Chris Sununu signed into law the bill that legalises sports betting in the state.
US.- New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu signed into law a sports betting bill late on Friday. The state has become the latest in the United States to legalise the sports betting industry. After signing the bill, the governor said that he was eager to place a bet.
The state is now eligible to offer betting on professional sports and most of Division I college sports. The legislative piece also allows mobile betting and retail gambling at 10 locations, though it is still unclear when this will happen.
The industry, which will be regulated by the Lottery Commission, is expected to bring US$7.5 million for education in fiscal year 2021 and US$13.5 million by 2023.
“We can do it with a lot of confidence because it’s being done responsibly, and it’s being done with an organisation here at the lottery that just knows what they’re doing. They know how to get this stuff on the ground,” said Sununu.
Rep. Timothy Lang, R-Sanbornton, sponsor of the bill, said: “I’m happy we’re bringing an illicit activity into the light for our citizens of New Hampshire and allowing for some consumer protections.”
AGA supports the legalisation
Moreover, the American Gaming Association (AGA) released a statement after the governor signed the bill. “The American Gaming Association applauds Governor Sununu and the New Hampshire legislature for legalising sports betting, becoming the third previously non-gaming jurisdiction, after Tennessee and Washington, D.C., to authorise wagering on sports,” said Bill Miller, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association.
“New Hampshirites will now have a convenient, secure alternative to the dangerous illegal market that has operated in the state and across the country for decades. I’m encouraged that New Hampshire lawmakers joined their colleagues across the country in rejecting harmful integrity fees and official data mandates that interfere with the legal market’s ability to compete with illegal operators.”
