Governor Sununu comes to Manchester to kick off legal New Hampshire sports betting

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Governor Chris Sununu makes his bet at Shopper’s on Dec. 31, 2019 – photo/Andrew Sylvia

MANCHESTER, N.H. – With a bet on the New England Patriots to win Super Bowl LIV, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu made the first legal sports bet in the Granite State this afternoon.

The wager was part of an event at Shopper’s Eatery and Pub celebrating the state’s new partnership with DraftKings, a Boston-based online sports betting service.

In July, Sununu signed legislation into law that would allow legal sports betting through the New Hampshire Lottery Commission, with a system originally expected to be rolled out to the public by Feb. 1, 2020.

Sununu praised DraftKings and New Hampshire Lottery Commission Executive Director Charlie McIntyre for their hard work to roll out an online sports betting platform for people in the state of New Hampshire two months early. He also praised the New Hampshire General Court and Executive Council for their efforts to craft what he saw as responsible legislation that will provide revenue for the state.

Additionally, Sununu sees the new law as another opportunity to lure Massachusetts residents north to spend their money here in New Hampshire, building on the DraftKings’ base of fantasy sports customers in the Bay State.

“There are hundreds of thousands of DraftKings users in Massachusetts that are going to be coming over the border to take advantage of this opportunity statewide,” said Sununu. “Whether it’s things like the gas tax or the sales tax, (or) not banning things, this is just another piece of the pie as to where New Hampshire’s going; we’re not about big government, we’re not about limiting opportunity, we’re about creating a great customer service environment for individuals whether they’re from New Hampshire or surrounding states.”

As the 83rd Governor of New Hampshire, Sununu placed $83 on the +1200 moneyline wager alongside McIntyre, former New England Patriot Linebacker Rob Ninkovich and other dignitaries, but he wasn’t the only one at Shopper’s placing bets.

Matt Doyle of Bedford also placed a bet on the Patriots through the DraftKings app shortly after Sununu’s bet.

In the past, Doyle had occasionally made small bets with co-workers and friends, but did generally not feel comfortable with “offshore” online gambling websites or bookies. He does say he “dabbled” in online sports betting several years ago, but stopped after he came to believe the bets he weren’t real or secure.

However, he does feel comfortable with DraftKings and expects in-game betting will only enhance his trips to Shopper’s, where he is already a frequent patron.

Like Sununu, Doyle also thinks the new law and partnership between the New Hampshire Lottery Commission and DraftKings will bring out-of-state residents to places like Shopper’s to experience the same in-game betting experience he is looking forward to. He also agrees with Sununu’s prediction that those visitors will significantly help stimulate the local economy.

“How could this not help the economy? Anything that we have that our surrounding states do not have, people will come to New Hampshire for to partake,” he said. “This is just the latest wave of that.”

Fifty percent of all bets made through DraftKings go to support New Hampshire education. Bets can only made by people over the age of 18 while inside the state and not on teams from New Hampshire or games occurring within New Hampshire.

DraftKings works on iOS and Android or online at Sportsbook.DraftKings.com. More information on New Hampshire sports betting is available on the New Hampshire Lottery Commission website.

About this Author

Andrew Sylvia

Assistant EditorManchester Ink Link

Born and raised in the Granite State, Andrew Sylvia has written approximately 10,000 pieces over his career for outlets across Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. On top of that, he's a licensed notary and licensed to sell property, casualty and life insurance, he's been a USSF trained youth soccer and futsal referee for the past six years and he can name over 60 national flags in under 60 seconds according to that flag game app he has on his phone, which makes sense because he also has a bachelor's degree in geography (like Michael Jordan). He can also type over 100 words a minute on a good day.