About Us

History

Did you know that the New Hampshire Lottery® is the oldest legal lottery in the United States?

State Representative Larry Pickett of Keene saw a sweepstakes as a viable and voluntary method of raising money for education. Between 1953 and 1963, Pickett proposed a Sweepstakes bill five times, finally succeeding in getting it passed in 1963. On April 30 of that year, Governor John King signed the bill. New Hampshire cities and towns voted by special ballot, with 198 of the state’s 211 communities voting in favor of starting a lottery. On March 12, 1964, two days after the vote, Sweepstakes tickets went on sale – and the benefits to New Hampshire schools began.

The New Hampshire Lottery® has seen a great deal of change over the past 60 years. We have gone from offering only one type of ticket that cost $3 each in 1964 to offering a variety of lotto-type games and numerous scratch games. And now, we have ventured into the digital platforms of sports betting and iLottery. Since the start of the Lottery, sales have gone from $5.7 million in 1964 to more than $603 million in 2023.

While players have come from both inside and outside New Hampshire, all of the revenue from the New Hampshire Lottery® has stayed in the state, benefiting our local communities through our contributions to public education. To date, those contributions have amounted to over $2.6 billion and have upheld the mission of the New Hampshire Lottery®: to maximize revenues for aid to public education by providing secure and entertaining gaming products to its players.

The Commission's dedicated staff recognizes that New Hampshire was the first state to offer a Lottery in modern times and that the Lottery shall continue to be an industry leader by striving to exceed minimum industry standards and goals established for accounting, security, marketing and game design.

Our Lottery was the first in the nation; now 45 states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have followed suit. We take pride in setting the example of dedicating our profits to public education. When you play the lottery, everyone wins.

Lottery News

11/4/2024
The New Hampshire Charitable Gaming Study Commission engaged Spectrum Gaming Group, working with Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health, to provide an independent overview of best practices in responsible gaming and problem gambling – with a focus on the six New England states.
10/21/2024
One-time cash payout to jump to estimated $219.9 million
9/26/2024
Special kickoff event at Saint Anselm College on Sept. 28 highlights launch of NH Lottery’s $5 Patriots Scratch Ticket and e-instant Patriots Expander games
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Financial Report

Each year, the New Hampshire Lottery® completes a Comprehensive Financial Report and Revenue Sheet. These items are made public, as we hold ourselves accountable to the citizens of New Hampshire and keep our finances public. The Comprehensive Annual Financial Report is submitted to the Government Finance Officers Association for certification by a special review committee. The New Hampshire Lottery® is proud to have been awarded this certification, which represents excellence in financial reporting.

Resources

 
 
iLottery FAQs
 

See answers to the most commonly asked questions.


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Agenda & Minutes
 

The archive of Agenda and Meeting Minutes.


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Administrative and Games Rules
 

Read up on the rules for your favorite games.


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