Online casino bills passes through New Hampshire senate

The state of New Hampshire is one step closer to legalizing online casino gambling after an online casino bill narrowly passed through the state senate last week.

The bill, SB104 just barely passed through the senate by a vote of 12-11. The bill will now move on to the New Hampshire House of Representatives for consideration. New Hampshire has had legal retail and online sports betting since 2019 but this is the closest it has come to legalizing online casino games.

If the bill were to pass the House and get the stamp of approval from the Governor, online slots and table games would become legal in the state and regulated by the New Hampshire Lottery Commission.

All proceeds of online casino gambling collected by the Commission, after payments were made for problem gambling services, would be held in a newly created Community College Scholarship Fund. The state’s revenue share would be at least 35 percent of all gross gaming revenue and the bill would authorize 3-5 online casinos.

The bill has an effective date of January 1, 2024. However, even if the bill does receive speedy passage by the House and the Governor, less than a year to get the industry up and running in the state is not practical. So, online casino games would launch at or around April 1, 2024.

Gross gaming estimates in New Hampshire in the bill are approximately $27 million in the first year of operation. That is expected to rise to $40.5 million in Year 2, and $54 million in Year 3.