New Hampshire has officially joined Rhode Island as the "only New England states with legalized sports wagering," according to Doug Alden of the New Hampshire UNION LEADER. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu "lauded" the move as a new revenue source for the lottery and the state overall. He "placed a bet on his cell phone" Monday through an app created by DraftKings. The New Hampshire Lottery Commission selected DraftKings from a "pool of 13 applicants in October," and the executive council "signed off on the deal in November." New Hampshire Lottery Exec Dir Charlie McIntyre and Sununu have "estimated the state could net" $10M in profit from "sports wagering in its first year." That would amount to nearly 10% of the $106.5M the state lottery "contributed to the state education fund" after "record-breaking sales" in FY '19. McIntyre said that the state "will select the first four of up to 10 retail sites" by Feb. 1 (New Hampshire UNION LEADER, 12/31).
COME ON OVER: In Boston, Matt Stout writes the start of sports betting in New Hampshire put in "sharp relief the unhurried deliberations in Massachusetts, where lawmakers have been considering similar legislation since January." It remains "uncertain how quickly -- or if at all -- Massachusetts will act." That allows New Hampshire to "coax people who want to cast a wager to visit the Granite State." Sununu "encouraged bettors 'to come on over the border.'" New Hampshire officials "acknowledged the benefit of plucking bets from the Massachusetts market." McIntyre: "The best kind of money is out-of-state money" (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/31).
