New Hampshire Legal Sports Betting Age Unchanged

New Hampshire Lawmakers Won’t Change the Legal Sports Betting Age

By Lisa Spencer Senior Editor Updated: 05 February 2025

Lisa Spencer Senior Editor

As a Senior Editor at Betting.US, Lisa Spencer is a valuable member of our expert team. With a Master’s degree in Applied Mathematics, Lisa is adept in gambling theory and analyzing odds. She contributes by writing online sportsbook reviews and finding competitive markets to help our readers make an informed choice.

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The Proposed Bill Falls Through

During a House Ways and Means Committee executive meeting, members voted 11-7 against House Bill 83, saying it is “expedited to legislate.” This means that this bill is dead.

New Hampshire is one of only four jurisdictions where an 18-year-old can legally place sports bets. The other states include Kentucky, Wyoming, and Washington, D.C.

The topic was discussed in great depth at a public hearing. Motivation for the bill initially came from concerns over an increase in problem gambling among the younger generation of bettors.

Representative Thomas Schamberg favored the bill, saying,

I think it is important that we make a statement about the age limit as we have about alcohol, tobacco products, and vapes. Basically, I am supporting the age of 21 in New Hampshire.

However, Republican Rep Cyril Aures portrayed the proposal as a liberty issue and said,

If young people want to bet with their money, let them bet.

The legal age for all gambling in New Hampshire is 18, which includes charitable gambling. The proposed bill would have only raised the legal age for sports betting, while the rest would remain at 18. Online casinos are not yet legal in New Hampshire, but lawmakers could set the age for it at 18.

Is IGaming Coming to NH?

In the Senate, SB168, which is a legal online gambling bill, is waiting for a hearing date. Senator Tim Lang, architect of the New Hampshire legal sports betting bill, is among the sponsors.

This bill would allow for up to 6 digital gaming platforms, while the tax rate would be set at 45% of gross gaming revenue (GGR). The legal age is set at 18 in the proposal. If this bill passes as it is, New Hampshire would be the only state in the union where the legal gambling age is 18. The New Hampshire Lottery would be the regulator; they also oversee sports betting.