Draftkings Sportsbook New Hampshire
Mobile sports betting is now live in New Hampshire with DraftKings being the first, and only, sports betting app to launch in December 2019. New Hampshire has officially legalized sports betting in July 2019. New Hampshire has joined the ranks of states with live and legal sports betting. Chris Sununu placed the first online wager via DraftKings Sportsbook, betting on the New England Patriots to win Super Bowl LIV. Eight months later, DraftKings. DraftKings is based in Boston, and New Hampshire is the company’s first New England operation. “As a New England-based company, DraftKings is honored to launch our American-made sportsbook product in New Hampshire for the start of the NFL playoffs,” Matt Kalish, chief revenue officer and co-founder of DraftKings said via press release.
Draftkings Sportsbook New Hampshire Lottery
The state’s Executive Council is set to meet in Concord Monday with Gov. Chris Sununu to finalize the DraftKings’ contract, essentially giving the sportsbook a monopoly on the state's brick-and mortar and online betting platform through 2026, with two optional two-year extensions.
In a statement from DraftKings, they said, “DraftKings is proud to be selected to offer mobile and retail sports betting in New Hampshire. We look forward to soon providing sports fans in the Granite State with our best-in-class mobile and online Sportsbook product, and welcoming them into our dynamic retail sportsbooks.”
“DraftKings will continue to collaborate closely with the New Hampshire Lottery Commission towards our mutual goal of bringing fun, safe and responsible sports betting to New Hampshire.”
How did DraftKings win exclusive rights?
13 vendors submitted proposals for its retail and lottery-run operations. DraftKings and ROAR made the final cut with DraftKings offering 50 percent of its gross gaming revenue for exclusive rights to be the only retail and mobile operator in New Hampshire. ROAR came to the table offering 20 percent to be the exclusive online provider and 11 percent to be the only retail operator.
The New Hampshire lottery commission’s executive director to the Council, Charles McIntyre, on the contract reward said, 'DraftKings price proposal as a sole provider of the mobile and retail channel delivered more than three times the percentage of revenue to the State than would be derived from a multiple agent market.”
The promise of a bigger piece of the revenue pie was a determining factor in New Hampshire. That model threatens to become the model for future Sportsbook proposals as various states award contracts going forward. Of note, DraftKings also scored best for mobile and retail operations of any of the other 13 proposals. DraftKings scored 810 points in the mobile segment and 790 points in the retail segment out of a possible 1,000.
When can we expect to see DraftKings fully operational?
Aug 14, 2020 The DraftKings Sportsbook at the Brook celebrated its grand opening on Wednesday, Aug. (Image: @TheBrookCasino/Twitter) Gamblers in New Hampshire have been able to legally bet on sports. Launched in 2018, DraftKings Sportsbook offers mobile and retail betting for major national and global sports, and currently operates pursuant to state regulations in Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and New Hampshire.
DraftKings' launch is expected to come quickly in New Hampshire despite the number of hurdles they will still have to clear. Various approvals are still outstanding, including votes in some jurisdictions in the state.
Associated Press is on the board with a prediction that mobile betting in New Hampshire could become reality by January, in time for the NFL Playoffs with retail books having to wait to launch until late winter or early spring.
Is there any future competition for DraftKings in New Hampshire?
The simple and short answer is “Not really”.
Intralot already holds a state contract to manage other lottery operations through 2025. They scored 140 points better than DraftKings in that space but the contract limits their ability to provide single-game or live in-game betting opportunities. Intralot will only be allowed to provide lottery-based sports betting under the newly laid-out provisions.
The state’s Executive Council will meet to discuss amending Intralot's existing contract to offer sports betting through the lottery. It isn't clear what will come out of the meeting but Intralot is expected to retain their lottery-based betting platform for now.
What does it all mean for DraftKings and New Hampshire?
Generally, states have taken to an open, competitive marketplace in order to maximize revenues for the states themselves and the companies vying for coveted contracts. But New Hampshire seems to have gone in the opposite direction.
It's a boon for the Boston-based sports entertainment company to gain exclusivity in the state and New Hampshire bettors should be well-served by the experience and broad reach of DraftKings’s platform. It appears that New Hampshire was measured in their approach to rewarding the exclusive contract and that the state's due diligence will provide what DraftKings promises to deliver, 'fun, safe and responsible sports betting to New Hampshire.”
Related Articles
Draft Kings Sports Betting
People in New Hampshire are finally able to enjoy the excitement of sports betting at a bustling location. Last week saw sportsbook giant DraftKings open up an impressive retail sportsbook at The Brook complex in Seahaven, which means that sports fans will be able to enjoy a variety of thrilling entertainment options all in one place.
After voting to become a sports gambling destination, the town of Seabrook welcomed the 90,000 square-foot facility. The Brook is home to video walls, betting facilities, a stadium, cinema screens, and a huge number of TVs where sports fans can enjoy an immersive experience while they bet on a variety of different sports.
According to officials, the stadium was designed to provide the best sports viewing experience possible to fans in the area.
DraftKings Continues its Success
DraftKings has been providing access to mobile sports betting since the end of last year in the state. Since its mobile platform launched last December, it has managed to generate $65 million in wagers from sports fans.
The launch of the retail sportsbook at The Brook will enable DraftKings to continue its success in the area, while enabling more money to be raised in state taxes to fund education, among other things. The CEO at The Brook, Andre Carrier, said that the retail sportsbook would be a valuable addition alongside mobile sports betting. He said:
With more than 42,000 registered New Hampshire users, mobile sports betting is already attracting a new generation of players to the New Hampshire Lottery. The addition of The Brook’s retail sportsbook will only further support our efforts to maximize revenue for education in New Hampshire.
A key benefit for the location of the retail sportsbook at The Brook is that it is just across the border from Massachusetts, where sports betting is not yet permitted. So, it could draw in crowds from across the border, which could help to boost revenue from retail sports betting even further.
While some people in the Boston and surrounding areas travel to Rhode Island to enjoy sports betting, the DraftKings sportsbook at The Brook will now offer some healthy competition.
Great Timing for DraftKings
The vote on allowing DraftKings to launch at this location only came in early March this year, and this was just a couple of weeks before the COVID-19 outbreak led to a shutdown. With the country now coming out on the other side of the lockdown, this could prove to be great timing for the launch of the DraftKings sportsbook.
With lockdown eased and facilities now open, people will be eager to pay a visit and explore the new sportsbook facility. In addition, the world of major sports is also coming out of lockdown, and many sports events are now taking place or are scheduled to take place.
After months of no live sports, there will be many people eager to watch live events and place their bets. This could prove to be a real boon for the new sportsbook in its opening weeks.