A state known for its quaint, sleepy towns, and large swathes of wilderness and hills, New Hampshire is situated in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. In 1776, it was one of the thirteen original colonies that signed the famous declaration of independence, making it among the oldest American states. With 1.35 million inhabitants (according to the latest census figures), New Hampshire is the U.S’s 10th least populous state.
Concord is the state capital of New Hampshire, however, Manchester remains its largest and more economically important city. The state is one of the few in America that doesn’t have any general sales tax or income tax (outside of interest and dividends). Overall, New Hampshirites are among the wealthiest in the United States with a median household income of $73,000 (or 7th position).
New Hampshire is popularly called “the granite state” due to its vast granite formations and rock quarries. Geographically speaking, the state has become a popular tourist spot due to a combination of its mountainous, snowy terrain and its lush, canopied forests. Visitors come to ski on New Hampshire’s high mountain ranges, ride snowmobiles through its icy plains, and hike through its forests. Several summer cottages dot its countryside and these are rented out seasonally – mostly by visitors from neighboring states or from Canada.
In summary, New Hampshire has many popular attractions, including the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Weirs Beach, White Mountain National Forest, Mount Washington, and part of the famous Appalachian Trail.
Early History of Poker and Gambling in New Hampshire
The first sets of actions taken towards the legalization of gambling in New Hampshire came just 8 years after the declaration of independence was signed. In 1784, as part of the new state constitution, lotteries gained legal status – as long as the revenues derived went towards educational funding. Following the years from the end of the 18th century to the beginning of the 20th, table games and other forms of gambling operated in the shadows.
This status quo would change in 1933, however, as New Hampshire’s legislature authorized pari-mutuel betting on horse and greyhound racing. This action created the first legally-accepted form of gambling in the state’s history.
In 1949, following an amendment to the states’ Revised Statutes Annotated, other “games of chance” such as bingo and pull-tab lotteries gained full legal status. This continued the trend of a slow but sure trajectory towards increasing the scope of gambling in New Hampshire.
1963 would, once again, mark another crucial step forward in that trajectory. That year, the state finally created its first lottery program, after the precedent bill was quashed by the state legislature on five different occasions. Signed by then-Governor John King, the resulting lottery exists till today and is run by the state itself.
Poker Comes Along
After decades of dilly-dallying around the issue of legalizing table games like roulette and poker, New Hampshire’s legislature finally reached a consensus in 1977, resulting in the state-wide legal status of slots, craps, roulette, poker, and others. A notable condition to this new law, however, was that the games be held for charitable purposes. As such, the casino-style venues that offered these games donated a large chunk of the proceeds to state-specified charities and non-profits.
In 2015, an important bill passed through the legislature that transformed legal poker in the state. After House Bill 169 took effect, the previous $4 limit on games of chance was effectively raised to $150. This meant that cash games and poker tournaments became exponentially more lucrative overnight.
One thing to note is that since its formation as a state, New Hampshire has always been resolute on its stance on full-scale casinos. In 2014, after years of lobbying, a bill that sought to legalize the creation of two casinos was defeated in the house. In the years since other similar proposals have met with the same fate.
New Hampshire, officially, has no casinos in the state. Nevertheless, many establishments have exploited the charitable gambling laws loophole, making full-scale games like roulette, poker, and craps ubiquitous throughout the state.
Online Poker
Like many other states in the region and indeed the U.S, online poker and online gambling as a whole has unclear legal status in New Hampshire. This is mostly because the core legal statutes that govern gambling in the state basically predate the advent of the internet and, as such, don’t mention it in relation to gambling.
With that said, online poker still happens quite frequently in the state. In fact, websites offer real-cash online poker services to players with little government oversight and supervision. Basically, New Hampshire law enforcement allows the activity to proceed undisturbed.
Daily Fantasy Sports
Away from poker, a bill that laid out a regulatory framework for daily fantasy sports (or DFS) in New Hampshire was proposed to the senate and subsequently passed. This meant that fantasy sports and all of its underlying betting opportunities were now recognized by law.
Great Options for In-person and Online Gaming in New Hampshire
Here are a few physical venues and online websites for poker in New Hampshire:
- Seabrook Greyhound Park & Poker Room
- Lakes Region Casino
- 4Jacks Poker Room
- Keene Casino
As for online poker:
- Juicy Stakes Poker
- America’s Cardroom
- True Poker
- BlackChip Poker
- SportsBetting Poker
All of these online platforms offer the full suite of features you would find on any standard platform, with plenty of bonuses, reward points, and promotions to keep you motivated. They are also safe and trusted platforms.