A bill that aims to remove iGaming from the list of illegal gambling activities in New Hampshire has emerged in the state Legislature earlier this month. If enacted, HB 562 will allow interested international operators, including PokerStars, to provide their services to local players.
The legislative proposal is sponsored by three House Representatives – Nick Zaricki, Robert Fisher, and Eric Schleien. It is set to be heard by the House Ways and Means Committee today, January 31.
Titled Allowing Online Gambling, the bill would add online gambling as a legal activity under the state’s current gambling regulations. If the legislative proposal gains the necessary support in the Legislature, it is expected to come into force on January 1, 2018.
According to the bill’s sponsors, it will not have any impact on expenditures related to the investigation and prosecution of iGaming offenses as the Department of Justice has not prosecuted such offenses so far.
Here it is important to note that unlike other states, where the proposed legalization of online gambling usually goes with a comprehensive regulatory framework that sets the principles under which such activities are to be conducted, the New Hampshire bill only proposes a change in the way iGaming is interpreted under state law.
Gambling in New Hampshire
Gambling in New Hampshire is regulated by the Racing and Charitable Gaming Commission. A great portion of the revenue generated by the state’s gambling facilities is contributed to various charitable institutions. There are no full-scale casinos in the state, although the establishment of such venues has its proponents and they have pushed for this for years now. New Hampshire players can gamble at card rooms instead. These facilities feature popular card and other table games, including blackjack and roulette. The Racing and Charitable Gaming Commission has so far licensed ten such properties.
New Hampshire and Daily Fantasy Sports
Apart from the legalization of online gambling, New Hampshire is also pushing for the introduction of fantasy sports contests within its borders. HB 580-FN-A was introduced by several state House Representatives earlier this month and aims at presenting the necessary definitions in regard to the regulation and operation of daily fantasy sports in New Hampshire. That bill, too, is set to be heard by the Ways and Means Committee today.
New Hampshire is one of a total of 11 US states that have initiated fantasy sports legalization efforts since the beginning of 2017.
