New Hampshire has neither tribal nor commercial casinos. Instead, the state is taking a different approach to expanding gambling opportunities. First and most prominent of all is its approval of online sports betting.
Introduction to New Hampshire Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020
New Hampshire slot machine casinos gambling does not exist. However, there are 27 locations offering keno, bingo, and table games licensed though charitable gaming regulations.
However, these state gaming regulations require fundraisers offering table games of chance to provide a significant portion of their revenue to the charities they are sponsoring.
This post continues my weekly State-By-State Slot Machine Casino Gambling Series, an online resource dedicated to guiding slot machine casino gambler to success. Now in its third year, each weekly post reviews slots gambling in a single U.S. state, territory, or federal district.
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Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in New Hampshire*
The minimum legal gambling age in New Hampshire depends upon the gambling activity:
- Land-Based Casinos: 21
- Poker Rooms: 18
- Bingo: 18
- Lottery: 18
- Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 18
New Hampshire has banned commercial casinos, although the state allows licensed commercial bingo halls. Simulcast betting exists, but there’s been no live racing since 2009. Tribal gaming is nonexistent as New Hampshire has no federally-recognized American Indian tribes.
“any game involving the use of a slot machine or any other device in the nature of a slot machine” is prohibited per state gaming regulation.
New Hampshire gaming regulation Chapter 287-DHowever, the charitable gaming industry has spread across the state over the last 40 years. Nearly 400 charitable organizations receive funds through 27 small scale venues such as malls and pubs. Larger sites include defunct former pari-mutuel racetracks.
*The purpose of this section is to inform the public of state gambling laws and how the laws might apply to various forms of gaming. It is not legal advice.
Slot Machine Private Ownership in New Hampshire
It is legal to own a slot machine privately in New Hampshire if it is 25 years old or older.
Gaming Control Board in New Hampshire
New Hampshire’s gaming control board is the New Hampshire Gaming Regulatory Oversight Authority (GROA), providing oversight to the New Hampshire Lottery Commission and the lottery’s Racing and Charitable Gaming Commission.
The New Hampshire Lottery, established in 1964, is the oldest state lottery and the second-oldest U.S. lottery. The oldest lottery in the U.S., established in 1934, is the Puerto Rico Lottery.
Casinos in New Hampshire
There are 27 large and small sites offering charitable keno, bingo, or table games in New Hampshire.
The largest charitable gaming site in New Hampshire is Cheers Poker Room & Casino in Salem, having no gaming machines and 25 table games.
The second-largest charitable site is The River Casino & Sports Bar in Nashua, having no gaming machines and six table games.
Commercial Casinos in New Hampshire
New Hampshire currently has thirteen licensed commercial bingo halls. It also has sixteen licensed games-of-chance facilities.
Tribal Casinos in New Hampshire
There is no tribal gaming in New Hampshire due to this state having no federally-recognized American Indian tribes.
Other Gambling Establishments
As an alternative to enjoying New Hampshire slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering New Hampshire is:
- North: Canadian Province of Quebec
- East: Maine Slots and 18 miles of shoreline with the Atlantic Ocean, the shortest ocean coastline of any U.S. coastal state
- South: Massachusetts Slots
- West: Vermont Slots
Each of the links above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. state to New Hampshire.
Our New Hampshire Slots Facebook Group
Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in New Hampshire? If so, join our new New Hampshire slots community on Facebook. All you’ll need is a Facebook profile to join this closed Facebook Group freely.
There, you’ll be able to privately share your slots experiences as well as chat with players about slots gambling in New Hampshire. Join us!
Payout Returns in New Hampshire
Under a charity provision in state laws, poker rooms and casino clubs can partner with charities to donate a portion of their revenue from table games-of-chance.
Nearly 400 charities attach themselves to these 27 licensed rooms and clubs. However, these state gaming regulations require fundraisers to provide 35% of their revenue to the charities they are sponsoring.
Note this is 35% of their revenue, not their profit. Therefore, the theoretical payout return must be at least as low as 65% for organizers to break even on their costs for holding a fundraiser.
Summary of New Hampshire Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020
New Hampshire slot machine casino gambling prohibits casinos along with slot machines as well as other electronic gaming machines of a similar nature. However, keno, bingo, and table games of chance are available at licensed charitable events. New Hampshire has neither tribal gaming nor cruise ships to international destinations.
Fundraisers offering table games of chance must provide 35% of their gaming revenue to the charities they are sponsoring.
Annual Progress in New Hampshire Slot Machine Casino Gambling
Over the last year, New Hampshire has gained two additional charitable gaming sites offering table games-of-chance.
Other State-By-State Articles from Professor Slots
- Previous: Nevada Slot Machine Casino Gambling
- Next: New Jersey Slot Machine Casino Gambling
Have fun, be safe, and make good choices!
By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC
New Hampshire was the very first state in the country to legalize lottery games in the 1960s but never got around to doing much after that for the gambling industry.
Horseracing has been permitted in the state since the '30s, with poker and bingo games legalized in the late '70s.
The latest addition to the gambling industry in New Hampshire is online sports betting, with DraftKings launching the first sportsbook mobile app in 2019.
This means there is a possibility of online casinos joining the party in the future, as right now it's illegal.
Slot machines are also banned for business use across The Granite State, but this doesn't mean you can't still find a few good gambling venues.
We go over the current gambling laws in New Hampshire as well as where you can gamble (on and offline) in our casino guide below.
First, online casinos!
Online Casinos In New Hampshire
Unfortunately, online casinos are not legal in New Hampshire. However, this isn't to say that online casinos will never launch in the state.
With sports betting already legalized, online casinos would be expected next.
Until then, players have multiple sportsbook apps available for download and can wager virtually on horse races.
There is also the iLottery.
Land-Based Casinos In New Hampshire
New Hampshire has an interesting situation when it comes to land-based casinos.
All casinos are considered illegal unless raising money for a charitable organization, and there are no Tribal casinos because NH has no tribes.
Since all gaming machines used for profit are strictly illegal in the state, players have the option to go to a charitable casino which offers a variety of popular casino table games.
The closest legal slot machines to New Hampshire would be in New York or Massachusetts, which is good news for any gamblers who don't mind a small road trip.
Besides casino gambling, New Hampshire also has one racetrack that allows off-track betting. There used to be much more than just one venue in the state, but the horse-racing industry isnot nearly as popular as it was 20 years ago, causing many operations to shut down.
Types Of Casinos In New Hampshire
Technically, there aren't any 'real casinos' in the state. The only type of venue you'll find in New Hampshire that is similar to a land-based casino is one that offers charitablegaming.
These venues are typically privately owned and consist of sports bars, bingo halls, and poker rooms.
There is also one horse racing track in NH, as we mentioned above.
Charitable Casinos
If a business wants to offer casino games, the state requires that a large portion of the profits made must be given to a charity. Currently, there are hundreds of charities in NHreceiving funds from charitable casinos.
The types of games allowed to be offered include bingo, keno, blackjack, craps, and roulette.
Poker rooms are very popular in the state as well and are also referred to as charitable casinos.
Below, we list every location in NH that offers charitable gambling and the games available.
Pari-Mutuel Betting
The sole horse race track in New Hampshire has just recently rebranded itself from Seabrook Park to The Brook.
It is now the largest charity casino in the entire country and will offer sports betting and casino games.
The new gambling facility offers a state-of-the-art sports viewing area with over 150 TV screens and cinema-style seating, referred to as “The Stadium.'
Other features at The Brook include:
- Daily simulcast racing
- Poker room; cash games and tournaments
- Casino table games; blackjack, roulette, and Cajun Stud
- Arcade games; pinball
35% of the revenue made will be given to locally run organizations.
List Of Land-Based Casinos In New Hampshire
The following is a list of facilities that offer charitable casino games in NH. If the games are not listed, it's because the venue does exclusive casino themed nights or private events thatrequire participants to contact the facility for more information.
Boston Billiard Club
- 55 Northeastern Blvd, Nashua, NH 03062
- 1 603-943-5630
- Games: Roulette, Poker, Three-Card Poker, Mississippi Stud, Spanish 21, Craps
Chasers Poker Room
- 7 Veterans Memorial Pkwy, Salem, NH 03079
- 1 603-912-4604
- Games: Roulette, Poker, Blackjack, Ultimate Texas Hold'Em, Mississippi Stud, No-Limit Hold'Em, Omaha
Cheers Poker Room & Casino
- 286 N Broadway, Salem, NH 03079
- Games: Roulette, Poker, Blackjack, Mississippi Stud, Three-Card Poker, Let it Ride
Dover Bowl
- 887 Central Ave # B, Dover, NH 03820
- 1 603-742-9632
- Games: Bingo
The Draft Sports Bar & Grill
- 67 S Main St, Concord, NH 03301
- 1 603-227-1175
The Brook
- 319 New Zealand Rd, Seabrook, NH 03874
- 1 603-474-3065
- Games: Roulette, Poker, Blackjack, Cajun Stud
The Governor’s Inn
- 78 Wakefield St, Rochester, NH 03867
- 1 603-332-0107
Keene Casino
- 222 West St, Keene, NH 03431
- 1 603-903-0181
- Games: Roulette, Poker, Spanish 21, Texas Hold'Em
New Casino Slot Videos
Lakes Region Casino
- Lakes Region Casino, 1265 Laconia Rd, Belmont, NH 03220
- 1 603-267-7778
- Games: Poker, Keno, Bingo, Cash table games
Lebanon Poker Room & Casino
- 45 Hanover St, Lebanon, NH 03766
- 1 603-678-5906
- Games: Roulette, Poker, Texas Hold'Em, Spanish 21
Northwoods Casino
- 155 Emery St, Berlin, NH 03570
- 1 603-723-9550
- Games: Roulette, Poker, Blackjack 21, Texas Hold'Em
New Hampshire Casinos With Slots
Ocean Gaming Casino
- 81 Ocean Blvd #2nd, Hampton, NH 03842
- 1 603-601-6690
- Games: Roulette, Blackjack, Craps, Poker, Keno
The River Casino and Sports Bar
- 53 High St, Nashua, NH 03060
- 1 603-881-9060
- Games: Roulette, Poker, New Hampshire Hold ‘Em, Blackjack, New Hampshire 21, Let It Ride, the Big 6 Money Wheel, Texas Hold’Em
History Of Gambling In New Hampshire
As we mentioned earlier, New Hampshire was the first state in America to regulate the lottery in the 1960s. However, the lottery existed in NH way before the 60s, and actually goes back as faras the 1800s when it was known as raffles.
In 1933, pari-mutuel betting was legalized and allowed residents to wager on horse and greyhound races.
New Hampshire didn't do much after the '40s to introduce any new forms of gambling to the state, up until the late 70's when bingo and poker were legalized.
By 2013, animal racing no longer existed in NH except for one off-track betting venue that showed simulcast racing.
Retail sportsbook began to open and online sports betting was legalized in 2019.
There have been attempts to regulate online casino gambling but all have been rejected.
New Hampshire does not have any tribal casinos or state land-based venues, leaving residents with the option of charitable gaming.
New Hampshire Gambling Laws and Regulatory Organizations
Casinos With Slot Machines In New Hampshire
It's true that New Hampshire has some of the strictest laws around casino gambling in the country, despite being the first state in the US to legalize the lottery.
Luckily, there are still ways for residents to play their favorite casino table games, as well as other gambling options.
Legal forms of gambling in New Hampshire:
- Sports betting (retail and online)
- Bingo and raffles
- Charitable casino table games
- Lottery
- Poker
Venues are allowed to offer different table games as long as some of the money made goes towards a local, charitable organization. The licenses are given out by The NewHampshire Racing and Charitable Gaming Commission.
Residents must be at least 18 years old to participate in poker rooms, buy lottery tickets, and play bingo.
To participate in charitable casino gambling, residents must be at least 21 years old.
The New Hampshire Racing and Charitable Gaming Commission
The New Hampshire Racing and Charitable Gaming Commission, alsoknown as the New Hampshire Lottery Commission (NHLC), is responsible for regulating charitable gambling in the state.
Businesses that are looking to offer casino games must receive a license from the NHLC, as well as residents looking to hold private casino themed nights.
For more information on how to obtain a license, send an email to [email protected] or call (603) 271-3391.
Gambling In New Hampshire Today
Considering how strict New Hampshire is about casino gambling, residents have quite a few options compared to other states.
Besides charitable casinos, the state has legalized online sportsbooks as of 2019, with a number of retail locations also operating across NH.
There was an attempt to discuss the possibility of legalizing online casinos in 2014, but that was shot down very quickly. However, it doesn't mean it could never happen, especially withsportsbooks gaining popularity.
Slot machines are not permitted in NH, but the majority of casino tables like poker, blackjack, roulette, and craps are, as long as some of the revenue made is going to charity.
Fun Facts
Did you know?
New Hampshire residents are allowed to privately own a slot machine as long as it's at least 25 years old.