NH sports betting raises $100M for education in first 4 years

Former NFL tight end and sportscaster Greg Olsen shows the first bet placed during the DraftKings First Bet in North Carolina at NASCAR Hall of Fame on March 11, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

By Granite Post Staff

March 15, 2024

Editor’s note: This story by Annmarie Timmins first appeared in the New Hampshire Bulletin

In the first four years since New Hampshire legalized sports betting and teamed up with DraftKings, the partnership has contributed $100 million to public education, according to the New Hampshire Lottery. It’s one of several games run by the Lottery that contributes to the Education Trust Fund.

“We are extremely proud of the work we have done to establish New Hampshire as the premier destination for sports betting in the Northeast,” said Charlie McIntyre, executive director of New Hampshire Lottery, in a statement. “We encourage our New Hampshire players to continue placing responsible bets and we are excited for many more years of winning big!”

State revenues across all games, including instant scratch tickets, keno, and historic horse racing, generated an increase of $43 million, or 29.3 percent, last year to the Education Trust Fund, according to Lottery’s annual report.

Sports betting is among the Lottery’s newest games, opening its first retail sports book at The Brook in Seabrook, followed by Filotimo in Manchester and Dover, and the Gate City Casino in Nashua.

In the four years since the launch of sports betting, New Hampshire players have wagered more than $2.71 billion, according to the Lottery.