Folks all across the country enjoy risking a little money from time to time in order to gain a big return. Residents of New Hampshire are no exception this fact but locals should be aware of both local and federal laws before venturing off to make a bet, play a game of poker or visit a casino. The good news is that most New Hampshire gambling laws on the books only target operators of gambling facilities or those who facilitate bets for profit while the average citizen is free to do as they please. We have provided this page for anyone in the Granite State considering a wager, to brush up on the basics of the law and how to safely use legal gambling sites for New Hampshire residents without worry or concern.
While the federal laws are quite clear, they leave ample room for each state to develop their own legislation on how to go about gambling in their region. The State of New Hampshire is one such state that has outlined what their citizens can and cannot do in regards to taking a risk but for the most part, the Granite State follows the template of the federal government by only targeting the business of gambling or facilitators of bets. We will go over a few of the more notable points of New Hampshire’s constitution below.
647:2 - Gambling in New Hampshire is “risking something of value” and is only viewed as a misdemeanor if done in a public venue not specifically authorized by the law. Simple gambling in the Granite State appears to be largely ignored by authorities and the risk of getting into any trouble is low.
647:1 section IV - As stated in the above point, gambling is only unlawful in certain instances. The State of New Hampshire outlines just what “Unlawfully” means in 647:2, section II, point (g) with a long list of definitions. In a nutshell, anything that is not specifically authorized by law could be construed to be unlawful. This does not mean that the law criminalizes such activity.
647:2 heading b - Just as is the case with federal laws, the business of gambling or facilitating bets for profit is big-time no-no in the State of New Hampshire. If guilty of this offense, one could receive a felony charge resulting in a $2000 fine and up to seven years in prison. It is important to never conduct, manage or supervise and unlicensed form of gambling in New Hampshire.
New Hampshire does not regulate online gambling – This is more about what is NOT in the state law rather than what’s in it. The fact that New Hampshire does not regulate gambling over the internet is good news for anyone looking to place a legal bet online. Since there is nothing within the state’s constitution regarding the internet, users in the Granite State can follow the federal guidelines in place that allow for visiting and placing a legal wager on any gambling site located outside of the United States.
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Wire Act – The Federal Wire Act was the first major piece of legislation to impact gambling in the United States in 1961. This law specifically targets the business of gambling and facilitating bets for profit however ignores the average citizen, as the simple act of placing a bet remains legal. The Wire Act prohibits the transmission of gambling information across state lines through a wire device or over the internet so that each state’s gambling policies remain unaffected by neighboring state’s laws that may differ.
PASPA – The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) came about in 1992 with a more precise target on sports betting. This Act outlawed any licensed or regulated sports betting anywhere in the country outside of exempt locations such as Las Vegas. Like the Federal Wire Act, the PASPA does not prevent the average citizen from placing a bet on their favorite team however the venues in which to do so are limited by the law.
UIGEA – The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) prohibits any online gambling business within the United States from knowingly accepting or issuing any monetary transaction over the internet. Again, this law only targets operators of betting businesses while leaving bettors unaffected. This law only affects a gambling site that is located within federal jurisdiction as any site located outside of the country is free to do as they wish.
The minimum age for legal New Hampshire gambling at land-based settings varies depending on the medium of gambling. The state’s lottery is available to anyone 18 or older while pari-mutuel betting facilities and casinos hold restrictions over those under 21 years of age. Legal gambling sites for New Hampshire residents are available to any adult in the Granite State aged 18 years of age or older.
Overall, New Hampshire gambling laws are lax and follow closely to the federal laws already in place to govern the entire nation. If resident of the granite state refrain from conducting a gambling business of their own, are of legal age and only visit licensed facilities or legal gambling sites for New Hampshire residents based outside of the United States, they will remain free of any prosecution by federal and local authorities.
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