NH, DraftKings Launching Next Week

Make it six states to launch sports betting in 2019 as DraftKings Sportsbook will have its mobile app live in New Hampshire next Monday.

That’s according to comments from DraftKings co-founder Matt Kalish to the New Hampshire Union Leader. DraftKings confirmed that timeline to Legal Sports Report.

The New Hampshire Lottery previously estimated a January launch.

That makes for a pretty accelerated timeline for DraftKings Sportsbook’s fifth state launch. The contract with New Hampshire was approved at the end of November.

This is, of course, hardly the most important DraftKings headline you’ll read today. The company announced a public merger with SBTech early Monday morning.

DraftKings gets exclusivity outside of lottery

DraftKings Sportsbook took big swings in New Hampshire’s request for proposal period and they paid off.

The company received the best scores from the Lottery Commission based on a bunch of criteria. The most important of those appeared how much revenue the state would get.

DraftKings is splitting gross revenue 50/50 with the lottery for its commercial exclusivity. That includes the mobile app and up to ten retail sportsbooks.

The first of those retail sportsbooks is expected sometime in the spring, according to media reports.

The lottery, meanwhile, will offer its own sports betting product via Intralot.

NH sports betting details

Since sports betting is regulated by the lottery, bettors only need to be 18 or older to legally bet in New Hampshire.

In-play betting is restricted to online sports betting. The only betting bans are on in-state college athletics.

Thankfully for those planning to bet in New Hampshire, there is no in-person registration requirement. Bettors should be able to bet relatively quickly once the app goes live after completing the registration process on their mobile devices.

Gov. Sununu spoke plan into existence

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu should get credit for calling his shot earlier in October.

Sununu told radio stadion WEEI he would be placing a bet on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in his state before the NFL season ended.

It seemed like that would be a stretch at the time, considering the results of New Hampshire’s request for proposals still weren’t out. But both the state and DraftKings have moved quickly to make Sununu’s hopes a reality.