New Hampshire is preparing to pass legal sports betting with HB480, but first they are trying to work the kinks out.
On Thursday, the State Senate made three changes to the sports betting bill. The changes limited the number of mobile and in-state operators. Mobile operators will be capped at 5, and retail operators will be capped at 10.
The House Ways and Means Committee Rep. Susan Almy had the responsibility to conclude whether the committee agreed with the changes or not. She was able to determine that the committee supported the bill, therefore, no official vote will need to be taken by the originating chamber.
After Rep. Almy made her consensus, she addressed the House floor to discuss what changes the Senate made to HB480 and sports wagering in the state of New Hampshire.
After hearing the changes, Rep. Timothy Lang stated that he was disappointed to hear that the state was going to limit retail locations. He also wanted to see in-play or live betting at retail locations added back into the bill.
In-play betting at retail locations was removed from an earlier version of the bill by the Ways and Means Committee, but HB480 still permits in-play betting from mobile operators. Lang told reporters that for now he will take a policy win but to expect changes in the future.
HB480 instructs the NH Lottery Commission to create a Division of Sports Wagering to serve as the sole regulator to the state’s sports betting industry. Sports betting will be allowed online within state borders to anyone over the age of 18. Bettors will also be allowed to register for state-based mobile sportsbooks online.
This bill also states that there will be no wagering on New Hampshire college teams or any college sports taking place in the state. There will also be no integrity fees set aside for sports leagues or mandates for official league data.
