Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Lottery is projecting record levels of wagering during this year’s football season, which kicked off this past weekend. New Hampshire sports bettors wagered more than $5.8 million on opening weekend NFL games, and have already wagered $13.1 million on the NFL and college football combined this year. Last year, New Hampshire players bet more than $261 million on both the NFL and NCAA football.

“We are excited for our New Hampshire sports bettors, as the NFL’s regular season is upon us. It is a thrilling time for football fans in New Hampshire, which is clear from the volume of wagering we have already seen,” said Charlie McIntyre, Executive Director, New Hampshire Lottery. “Legal sports betting through DraftKings has taken off in the state and the football season is the perfect opportunity to explore the world of sports betting. Whether it be a bet on the Super Bowl winner or how many touchdown passes Mac Jones will throw during the Patriots’ next game, responsibly having a little skin in the game makes the season more fun and interesting. We wish all of our New Hampshire players the best of luck this season.”

According to the New Hampshire Lottery and DraftKings, the exclusive provider for sports betting in New Hampshire, New Hampshire players have continued to stay loyal to the New England Patriots by making it the most wagered on team to reach the Super Bowl, although the Cincinnati Bengals and the New York Jets were also popular preseason Super Bowl picks. Prior to the season, New Hampshire players had favored the Georgia Bulldogs and the Alabama Crimson Tide to play in this year’s NCAA Football National Championship.

To make the sports betting experience simple and approachable for all, DraftKings recently launched a new customer-centric interface that makes it easier than ever to explore the world of sports betting. DraftKings’ Johnny Avello, who has spent more than 30 years as an oddsmaker in Las Vegas, encourages new bettors to “start off slow.”

“There are numerous ways to play, and a great place to start is by visiting the DraftKings Sportsbook app or website and using its ‘How to bet sports’ page as a resource,” Avello said. “It outlines all the basics and is the best place to go in order to understand lingo and terminology.”

Through DraftKings, players have the opportunity to place a number of bets before and during games, including against the spread, on the game winner, prop bets and more. Players can also explore a variety of parlay betting options, as well as betting on “futures,” such as picking the eventual Super Bowl winner.

Avello offered a number of tips and insights to keep the experience fun and simple:

• Research. Look into team and player stats to gain some familiarity with individual teams and players. Doing that research ahead of time helps players make more informed choices when placing bets.

• Keep it Simple. Avello suggests betting on the total of regular season wins. “If you like a couple of teams and you’ve done some research, bet over or under on a number.” For example, oddsmakers had the Patriots as winning 7.5 games this season – players can bet the Patriots will beat that number if they are more optimistic about the team’s season than oddsmakers.

• Look to the Future. Bet on futures, such as the Super Bowl winner, conference winner, division winner, individual and team stats, and awards, like the Heisman trophy or MVP. “Betting on futures keeps the player engaged for a longer period of time. Plus, these bets come with a greater potential payout,” Avello said. “It can keep the player in on the action for the whole year.”

• Look at one game. Find one game and pick against the spread, or simply pick a winner. Avello noted it can help simplify things to really zero-in on a particular game, especially if a player is relatively new to sports betting.

• It’s not all about the odds. “I wouldn’t always be discouraged by what the oddsmakers say,” Avello said. “Oddsmakers’ predictions are not the end all be all.”

• Play Responsibly! While it is easy to get lost in the excitement of sports betting, it is most important to understand what and how much you are betting. Remember to make smart decisions and to have fun.

Last season, New Hampshire players wagered an average of $8.9 million per week on the NFL, bringing in a total of $178 million. Sports bettors in New Hampshire also wagered more than $9.2 million on Super Bowl LVII alone.

In Fiscal Year 2023, New Hampshire Lottery and DraftKings players wagered more than $883 million, generating $36.9 million in revenue to support New Hampshire public education.

New Hampshire residents can download the DraftKings Sportsbook app to place wagers through DraftKings. Sports fans can place bets on the DraftKings Sportsbook app via iOS and Android or online at Sportsbook.DraftKings.com.  Together, DraftKings and the New Hampshire Lottery take responsible gaming seriously and the state-of-the-art app offers consumers a number of responsible gaming tools, including limit setting, cooling-off periods, and self-exclusion.

For more information and to download the app, visit: 

About New Hampshire Lottery
Since 1964, the New Hampshire Lottery has contributed more than $2.64 billion and counting to education in New Hampshire. For the past 59 years, the New Hampshire Lottery has recorded more than $9.1 billion in lottery sales and other earnings, with over $6.1 billion paid in prizes and other cost of sales.

The New Hampshire Lottery Commission, located at 14 Integra Drive in Concord, currently manages all lottery operations in the state, including scratch games, New Hampshire Powerball®, New Hampshire Mega Millions®, Tri-State Megabucks℠, Tri-State Pick3®/Pick4® Daily Numbers games, Gimme 5, Fast Play games, Lucky For Life®, KENO 603℠, and iLottery. The New Hampshire Lottery also regulates charitable gaming, including Bingo, Lucky 7, and Games of Chance, along with simulcast racing, fantasy sports, and sports wagering.