A bill that would legalize sports betting in New Hampshire has headed for the Senate for a final approval to bring it in line with a bill already approved in the House. From there its next stop would be the desk of Governor Chris Sununu.
Last week Senator Bob Guida added an amendment to H 480 capping the number of mobile operators at five. The Senate’s Finance committee is giving the bill the final analysis and is seen as likely to recommend for on May 30.
Senator Lou D’Allesandro, chairman of the finance committee told Legal Sports Report, “We did an executive session because we wanted to get all those bills out. It’s moving along swimmingly. The Senate is going to pass it. It’s in the budget for like $10 million.”
Another amendment dealt with concerns the bill might run afoul of the federal Wire Act by stipulating “mobile sports wagers must be initiated and received within the geographic borders of the state of New Hampshire and may not be intentionally routed outside of the state. The incidental intermediate routing of mobile sports wagers shall not determine the location or locations in which such a wager is initiated, received or otherwise made.”
Betting will be supervised by the Lottery Commission which shall provide “wager limits for daily, weekly and monthly amounts consistent with the best practices in addressing problem gambling” and select businesses “whose bids provide the state with the highest percentage of revenue from the sports wagering activities.”
Bar owners are critical of mobile betting because it encourages patrons to watch games at their businesses while betting on a mobile ap.
Supporters expect the state to collect about $10 million annually from sports betting once it is signed into law.
