Gambling Laws For New Hampshire
One small fact that seems to ring true no matter where in the United States one seems to visit is that people have a real, true and deep interest in gambling. From the west coast all the way to the furthest corners of New England, people conjure images of Steve McQueen and Paul Newman whenever it comes to gambling and gamblers. Smart players today familiarize themselves with the New Hampshire gambling laws that govern wagering in the state.
Just as with anything in life, the reality is no match for the romantic fantasy, but many US citizens who enjoy a responsible and regular gambling hobby every day will probably tell you that not only can gambling be a fun and exciting way to spend a weekend or even just a couple of hours, but that if they play their cards right and walk away at appropriate times, they can even earn a bit of a profit.
While many New Hampshire residents confess to having an interest in gambling, they generally cite a fear of legal prosecution as a reason for not attempting to gamble. This makes us here at NewHampshireGamblingLaws.com very sad, mainly because we like to see people engaging with a hobby they enjoy and having a great time. We wrote this page to help guide New Hampshire residents through the rocky legal landscape surrounding gambling and show that it is indeed possible to gamble safe from the threat of prosecution.
While federal law declares that it’s a very serious crime to facilitate illicit gambling, there are actually no laws that forbid an otherwise honest citizen from placing a bet or wager. Most states in the country follow this template. Although New Hampshire adds some legislation of their own into the mix, y following this general pattern, residents should emerge unscathed.
The remainder of this page will provide an in depth guide to policy regarding gambling in New Hampshire as well as help point residents towards the safest possible means of gambling, both from legal prosecution and from any other criminal elements.
The Legality of Gambling in New Hampshire
The biggest difference New Hampshire state laws have when compared to the federal laws which govern gambling is that New Hampshire actually bothers to both define and criminalize the act of “gambling.” In state code chapter 647.2 section II heading d, “gambling” is defined as “to risk something of value upon a future contingent event not under one's control or influence, upon an agreement or understanding that something of value will be received in the event of a certain outcome.” As one can conclude from reading it, this is a fairly general definition of the act of “gambling,” which can therefore fit many things within its terms.
Chapter 647.2 section I of the same law goes on to define the act of “gambling” as a class B misdemeanor, a classification that New Hampshire reserves for nonviolent crimes. This is not a jail-able offense, but if it is prosecuted it can lead to a fine of up to $1,200. This all may seem pretty serious and like bad news at first, but a quick glance in the history books will confirm what many indeed probably already suspect: this is not a crime that the state of New Hampshire prosecutes.
It is important to understand that the intent of this law was never to punish otherwise honest residents who merely wanted to gamble a little bit recreationally, but rather to cripple large, organized crime syndicates. Once the intent of the law is understood, it makes it easier to realize why at no point in New Hampshire history has anyone been brought up on charges merely for gambling.
This is not to say that all gambling related offenses slide by in New Hampshire with no real consequences. If one is found guilty of “conducting gambling,” in accordance with chapter 647.2 section I-A heading b of New Hampshire code, they would be committing a class B felony, and therefore eligible not only for a three to seven year stay in prison, but a fine of up to $2000.
Of course, no one need be reminded that in addition to these steep penalties, felonies do not leave a criminal record in time – this is a life altering crime. New Hampshire residents are advised to avoid “conducting gambling” at all costs to avoind violating New Hampshire gambling laws!
Difference Between Gambling and Conducting Gambling
Luckily, the difference between these two acts is just as stark as the punishments for each one. The easiest way to break down the difference is to start at one simple truth: in order to gamble, at least two parties are required.
The first party must make a conscious decision to make a bet on a future event (like a football game) or a game of chance, whereas the second person must take the money and either keep track of the bet to determine whether it wins or loses or operate the game to determine whether or not the first player has won. This second party is most likely guilty of “conducting gambling.”
However, this should not be taken to mean that local authorities are beating down the front door all across the neighborhood in order to break up friendly poker games, because there is one more clause which must be met in order for a resident of New Hampshire to be found guilty of “conducting gambling,” that the host must make a profit off the gambling.
To be clear, coming out ahead at the end of the night by virtue of the game at hand does not constitute profiting from gambling, rather, a guilty party must set themselves up to profit from the gambling event whether they are placing bets and wagers or not.
Some ways in which this can be done include but are not limited to charging admission for the privilege to play the game, selling food or drinks throughout the course of the game, collecting a small percentage of every pot in a game of poker as a profit to the house, (this is often called a “rake,”) operating a sportsbook, or operating any traditional casino games as the “house,” who is always given the best odds to win.
Just so long as a gambler in New Hampshire avoids these very specific actions, they will avoid that felony charge, or indeed, any legal attention at all from the state of New Hampshire.
State Betting Laws In New Hampshire
New Hampshire Sports Betting Laws
Back in 1992, the federal court passed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act at the behest of then-NBA commissioner David Stern. This act strictly prohibited states from sanctioning any land based sports betting within their borders except for four states which were grandfathered exemptions from the policy. Unfortunately, since New Hampshire was not one of those states, it’s impossible to find any land based sports betting facilities within the state.
This is why for sports betting, many have turned to legal offshore sports betting sites for New Hampshire residents. Using these websites, millions of Americans are able to bet on sports every day safe from the fear of prosecution, or having to deal with the criminal element which they would be forced to bet with were they to seek out an illicit, land based sportsbook within their home state.
New Hampshire Casino Laws
For those who live in New Hampshire and crave gambling in a busy, casino environment, there is some bad news. In the entire state of New Hampshire there exists not one measly brick and mortar facility in which one may bet or wager on any traditional casino games. As recently as February of 2015 there was legislation on the floor of the state supreme court to potentially sanction and begin construction on a couple facilities within New Hampshire, but the bill was shot down.
It’s a good thing then that many New Hampshire online casinos operate and have been in service for US citizens for such a long time. Through these websites, users may participate in all classic casino games as well as thousands of variations on video slots all from the comfort of their own homes without breaking New Hampshire gambling laws. When’s the last time anyone has had the opportunity to earn money while wearing their bathrobe?
New Hampshire Poker Laws
Poker is, by a large margin, far and away the most popular means of gambling in the United States. For this reason, many states that do not sanction land based gambling sometimes make exceptions for standalone poker rooms in order to earn a huge chunk of profit from the activity. Unfortunately, New Hampshire is not such a place, and not so much as a single dog track is sanctioned within the state’s borders.
However, New Hampshire residents will be happy to know that the sanctity of the home game is intact. Whether a resident wants to play a private game amongst friends (so long as the host does not earn a profit!) or spend a quiet night in playing online poker, New Hampshire law enforcement will leave what goes on behind closed doors well enough alone.
Legal Gambling Age In New Hampshire
Even though there is not a lot of sanctioned gambling going on in brick and mortar facilities in the state of New Hampshire, the state is still fairly lenient when it comes to those who wish to gamble. There is, however, one especially good way to spoil all these rights – underage gambling.
The legal gambling age to play games of chance for real money is 21, and it’s strongly advised all residents + visitors adhere to it. Those who choose not to wait until they are 21 to gamble will not only face steep penalties from whichever facility catches them gambling, but from the state as well. New Hampshire will definitely hand down a steep fine to underage gamblers and potentially even jail time, but more likely probation and community service, just not the kind that looks good on college applications.
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General |
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| 18 |
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Lottery |
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| 18 |
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Casinos |
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| 21 |
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Poker |
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| 21 |
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Pari-Mutuel |
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| 21 |
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Bingo |
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| 18 |
Best Places To Gamble In New Hampshire
On-Land:
Since the state legislature of New Hampshire has officially shot down any and all plans to build gambling facilities on land, unless a resident is into a long drive over state lines, there is nowhere to gamble on land within the state of New Hampshire.
Online/Web-Based:
While the landmass covering the space between New Hampshire and Atlantic City isn’t exactly enormous, why make that drive at all when you can gamble from the comfort of your own home? Thanks to legal gambling websites for New Hampshire residents, prospective gamblers have the option of gambling with a safe and legitimate business without having to get out of their slippers.
By virtue of their offshore location, these websites operate well outside the jurisdiction of New Hampshire of even federal law. This allows them to function legally as businesses and accept New Hampshire residents (who will not be prosecuted for the mere act of gambling) without any fear of being shut down by and law enforcement agencies. Any former users of those seized websites will see the advantage in that!
In addition, since these sites all must adhere to the rigid laws of their native countries as well as the parameters set by reputable international gambling agencies as they relate to both fair play and financial security, they are the safest bets on the market. No pun intended.
Best Legal Gambling Site For New Hampshire Players
Bovada Sportsbook
One Account For All Types of Wagering Opportunities
Just because there are several legal online gambling networks for New Hampshire players out there does not mean that they are all created equal. On the contrary, Bovada has provided the gold standard by which all other gambling websites must be judged. In their more than 20 years of service to New Hampshire residents, Bovada has proven to boast the most secure financial networks as well as the top products on the market.
Whether you crave the world’s best and most diverse sportsbook, the poker room with the most action, or the online casino with the most cutting edge software available, you’ll find it all under one umbrella, and best of all, it will all be backed by the world class customer service department that Bovada offers. Any time you have an issue with your account or with a product, day or night, help is a quick phone call away. Through this 24 hour service, you will be connected with a knowledgeable human being lightning quick. Forget just gambling websites, when is the last time you got service that good anywhere?
Other Recommended New Hampshire Betting Sites
More About Using NewHampshireGamblingLaws.com...
We are gamblers who are passionate about law, not the other way around. While we are confident in the information we provided and are happy to help out, this is not a legal consult. Any further questions concerning New Hampshire gambling laws should be directed towards a legal professional, notably one that is licensed to practice law in the Granite State. Paying for face to face consultation with someone that is familiar with the legal code in New Hampshire is sometimes the only way to feel safe when gambling and for that there is no price too high!.