- A bill to raise the legal age to sports bet in New Hampshire was not moved out of committee
- The committee voted 11 to 7 that the bill is “inexpedient to legislate.”
- The bill is now dead
The legal age to bet on sports in New Hampshire will face no changes after all.
A bill, HB 83, sponsored by several New Hampshire legislators, seeking to raise the New Hampshire minimum sports betting age from 18 to 21 has officially died in committee after an 11-7 vote declaring it “inexpedient to legislate.”
The sports betting age will officially remain at 18 moving forward.
Reduced Revenues, Reduced Liberties
The bill was sponsored by several members of both the New Hampshire House of Representatives and Senate, including Rep. Sallie Fellows (D-8), Rep. Michael Cahill (D-10), Sen. Ruth Ward (R-8), and Sen. Suzanne Prentiss (D-5).
The Granite State is one of just four markets in the country to allow those as young as 18 to bet on sports.
Rep. Fred Doucette (R-25) decried the bill, noting that it would likely reduce sports betting tax revenues in the state.
“We’re having a revenue issue as it stands. I can see revenues going down with this piece of legislation as written, as present,” he said.
Doucette’s opinion was backed by a fiscal estimate attached to the bill. According to the report, the state took in more than $33.6 million in sports betting revenues in FY 2024. The estimate showed that sports bettors under the age of 21 in the state accounted for approximately 1.9% of gross gaming revenue, which would be $639,443 in total each year.
Raising the legal age to 21 would decrease the state’s sports betting revenues by $320,000 in FY 2026, by $640,000 in FY 2027, and $640,000 every fiscal year thereafter.
“Sports betting revenue can shift based on a variety of factors, however, the Lottery Commission expects this number to remain consistent for FY 2026 and beyond. Considering this bill is effective halfway through FY 2026, it is expected to decrease state lottery revenue, and transfer to the education trust fund, by approximately $320,000 in FY 2026 and by $640,000 in FY 2027 and each year thereafter,” bill sponsors wrote.
It’s about personal liberties for state residents, Rep. Cyril Aures (R-169) said during the hearing.
“It’s a liberty issue for young people. If they want to bet with their money, let them bet.”
Take a Stand For New Age Limit
Rep. Thomas Schamberg (D-6) stood up for the bill, noting that a sports betting age limit should be the same for other vices in the state.
“I think it’s important we make a statement for an age limit like we’ve done with alcohol, smoking, tobacco products, and vapes,” he said.
If it truly is a matter of liberty, Rep. Susan Elberger (D-5) said other age limits on vices should be evaluated.
“I’ll go back to comments from Representative Schamberg. Why not let 18-year-olds drink alcohol, or smoke cigarettes? It doesn’t make sense to me to say liberty counts only in one space but not in another,” she said.
New Hampshire recently legalized sports betting, becoming the second state in New England to do so. However, there has been some confusion surrounding the age requirement for participating in sports betting in the state.
Many residents and potential bettors were hoping that the age requirement for sports betting would be lowered from 21 to 18, in line with the legal gambling age for other forms of gambling in the state. However, the New Hampshire Lottery Commission has confirmed that the age requirement for sports betting will remain at 21.
This decision was made in order to align with the age requirement for sports betting in neighboring states, such as Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Additionally, the commission cited concerns about underage gambling and the potential for addiction as reasons for keeping the age requirement at 21.
While some may be disappointed by this decision, it is important to remember that the age requirement is in place to protect young adults from the potential harms of gambling. By maintaining a higher age requirement for sports betting, New Hampshire is taking a responsible approach to regulating this new industry.
It is also worth noting that there are still plenty of opportunities for younger adults to participate in other forms of gambling in the state, such as the lottery and charitable gaming. And with sports betting now legal in New Hampshire, residents of legal age can enjoy placing bets on their favorite teams and events in a safe and regulated environment.
Overall, while there may be no change in the age requirement for sports betting in New Hampshire, residents can still look forward to enjoying this exciting new form of entertainment responsibly and legally.
