The minimum age to place sports bets in New Hampshire is 18. The Granite State’s sports betting minimum age, however, could increase to 21 if HB-83 makes it into law.
HB-83 is sponsored by House Members Sallie Fellows (D) and Michael Cahill (D). The effort to boost the sports betting minimum age to 21 also has the support of senators Ruth Ward (R) and Suzanne Prentiss (D).
The bill is scheduled to go to New Hampshire’s House Ways and Means Committee on Jan. 8.
New Hampshire is in the minority when it comes to the sports betting age limit. Currently, only seven states and Washington D.C. allow 18-year-olds to legally place sports bets. Most of New Hampshire’s closest neighbors – Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, Maine, and New York – set the sports betting minimum age at 21. The only other New Hampshire neighbor offering an 18+ sports betting age limit is tiny Rhode Island.
Potential lost revenue to state … and DraftKings
If passed, the bill would likely go into effect mid-2026. Sponsors of the bill estimate that the state will lose roughly $640,000 per year in revenue due to the lost betting activity of those under the age of 21. That, alone, may make this a tough sell.
Meanwhile, the bill can’t be good news for New Hampshire’s only online sportsbook, DraftKings. Granted, New Hampshire isn’t a huge contributor to DraftKings’ revenues. But sportsbooks are looking for growth. And increasing the legal age limit isn’t going to help that goal.
Increasing the New Hampshire sports betting age also may hinder the state’s ability to offer a more competitive sports betting landscape. New Hampshire state law allows up to five mobile sports operators. But currently, DraftKings is the state’s exclusive provider – an arrangement that comes up for renewal every two years. Should the state decide to court additional providers sometime down the road, it might be harder to do with fewer legal aged bettors in the state pool.
