Top Sportsbook
|
Sports Betting Laws In New HampshireLet us start out by saying that this page is not intended to take the place of any type of legal advice or service of any kind. We are not lawyers, nor do we have any type of legal training. We do have a very strong understanding of the sports betting industry however, as well as how both state and federal laws affect the industry and the options to players in specific regions. However, if you are searching for professional legal advice or interpretation of any specific law or statute, we recommend that you contact a lawyer or legal professional. Is sports betting legal in New Hampshire? The answer to this question is not black and white, or cut and dry. In fact, it depends on some qualifiers applied to the asking of the question. If you are asking if there are legal US based sports betting options in New Hampshire, the answer would be a resounding no. If you are asking whether or not there are legal sports gambling options available to NH residents that are not US based, then the answer is a resounding yes. Both the PASPA and the Federal Wire Act eliminate any potential for state based sports betting businesses to emerge within New Hampshire. We explain both of these laws below and how they affect the state's options. There are no state laws in New Hampshire that prohibit its residents from participating in legally sanctioned sports betting. All of the state's gambling laws that prohibit gambling apply to 'unlicensed' gambling operations. And we strongly agree that it is very unwise to even consider doing any type of business with a gambling operation that does not hold legal licensing. There are a number of legally licensed and certified online sportsbooks that offer their services to New Hampshire residents, and that are located and regulated outside of the United States. This means that they are not subject to or in violation of any state of US federal laws by offering their services to bettors in the Granite State. This also means that sports bettors are also not in violation of any state or federal laws as long as they limit their wagering activity to only legally licensed, certified and regulated sportsbook destinations that are operating legitimately within the industry, such as the sites that are recommended in our guide. What do New Hampshire state gambling laws say about sports betting? Sports betting is actually not addressed in New Hampshire's betting laws. Many states did not bother addressing this topic because the US federal laws comprehensively govern sports betting in the US and would always supersede state laws that are passed regarding this sportsbook wagering. New Hampshire state law does address participating in unlicensed gambling activities, which is something that nobody should consider at any time. This is why it is so vital that you only consider those offshore sports gambling sites that are verified to hold legitimate credentials that qualify them as legal businesses. We have evaluated each brand we recommend for legitimacy with their licensing and regulatory oversight to ensure we only bring you options that legally provide betting services to US bettors. State law does dictate the legal gambling age for residents of New Hampshire, which isset at a minimum legal age of 21 years old. Do not be tempted to engage in underage gambling simply because many offshore sites accept players as young as 18. You would be in direct violation of NH state law and could face stiff penalties as the state takes this issue very seriously. Players and bettors must be at least 21 years of age to legally participate at any of our recommended New Hampshire sports betting options. What federal laws affect New Hampshire sports betting options? There are two key US federal gambling laws that have a direct impact on sports betting opportunities in the United States. We have provided a brief explanation of each, as well as access to a more detailed explanation for those interested in getting into the nitty gritty of the laws themselves. Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act This is the daddy of all sports betting laws in the US, and effectively outlaws sports US based sports betting services to be provided anywhere except for Nevada, Delaware, Montana and Oregon. This law was passed in 1992, and actually included a one year grace period for any states that had existing gambling industries and met the requirements for adding sportsbook wagering to their existing gambling offerings. This grace period was included specifically with New Jersey in mind, who surprisingly did not take advantage of the opportunity and never added sports betting to their state based gambling industry. This law only applies to US based sports betting businesses, and has no impact on legally licensed offshore sportsbooks. It also is a law that targets owners and operators of sportsbook businesses, not bettors or participants. You can read more about Paspa here. Federal Wire Act This is the law that the DOJ uses to enforce the banning of US based online sports betting websites. The law prohibits any wagers placed through a wire communication, and has been interpreted to include Internet wagers. The law was originally passed to curtail illegal betting operations run by the Mafia who used the phone service to take bets. The law allowed law enforcement to shut down these illegal operations and dramatically impact the illegal activity of specific organized crime families. Many argue that it was never intended to be applied to the Internet because the Internet was not even a remote concept at that time. Regardless of how arguable the law may be, the DOJ stands firmly behind it to ban US based online sports betting. Like the PASPA law, this law does not apply to any online sportsbooks that are licensed, regulated and located outside of the United States. Federal Wire Act Credits: http://www.usasportsbooksites.com/legal/laws/ http://www.usasportsbooksites.com/legal/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_and_Amateur_Sports_Protection_Act_of_1992 |
