New Hampshire Legislature Rejects Bill to Raise Sports Betting Age

Michael Savio
By: Michael Savio
Jan 31, 2025
Sports Betting
Someone35, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo by Someone35, CC BY-SA 3.0

Key Takeaways

  • The sports betting minimum age will remain at 18 for at least one more year
  • New Hampshire’s betting handle dropped by 3% in 2024
  • The state is one of four markets to set the age at 18

Young sports bettors in New Hampshire got some great news this week.

A New Hampshire House committee has rejected a bill raising the legal age for sports betting from 18 to 21. The proposal had bipartisan support from proponents who wanted to protect younger bettors. However, the cut it would have made to the state’s tax revenue was too great to overcome.

Granite State is one of four markets that set the minimum age at 18.

Debate Over Liberty Gets Heated

There were a lot of reasons why lawmakers opposed this change, but the issue of liberty caused the most considerable stir. Opponents of the change said that 18-year-olds are considered adults, so they should have the right to spend their money as they see fit.

Proponents quickly pointed out the hypocrisy of that argument, pointing to the legal age for alcohol and tobacco being set at 21. They argued that you can’t define liberty on a case-by-case market and should instead be applied across the board.

Supporters of the bill also warned about problem gambling and its dangers to younger bettors. This argument carried a lot of weight for lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, but the effort still fell short.

Sports Betting Tax Revenue Declined in 2024

One of the biggest obstacles to raising the age was the impact on tax revenue. Many states saw disappointing tax revenue numbers despite massive betting handles. Unfortunately, New Hampshire saw a decline in tax revenue and betting handles.

The state saw a 3% decline in its betting handle for 2024. While that is a small amount, it raises some major red flags as other markets are seeing a record number of wagers. While the state’s lack of an NFL team could explain it, some lawmakers fear the market has found its ceiling.

The drop in wagers was cited as lawmakers argued over raising the minimum age. It also has spurned more support to legalize iGaming, which seems closer to becoming legal in the state.

Federal Regulations Could be Coming

While the current leadership in the US has a friendly relationship with the sports betting industry, cries for federal crackdowns are coming. A rise in problem gambling, betting scandals, and athlete harassment has become an emergency that needs to be addressed. While some states actively try to combat the problem, many lawmakers don’t believe it's enough. 

If the federal government does decide to step in, expect a universal betting age to be one of the first things to be established.

Michael is a writer from Denver who covers the sports betting industry for Casino.com. He has been covering the industry for over four years, focusing on providing accurate and easy-to-understand information for readers. When he’s not covering the industry, he’s betting on sports or exploring everything that Colorado has to offer.