Concord, NH – New Hampshire players have already placed more than 8,250 wagers totaling more than $300,000 during the first week of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) season, which tipped off Tuesday, May 14. With former NCAA star and national phenom Caitlin Clark driving interest, the total number of week one WNBA wagers increased by more than 460% compared to last year, while the total dollars wagered jumped by more than 165% year-over-year. The New Hampshire Lottery has also seen a nearly 1000% increase in active WNBA bettors.
“It is incredible to see the positive impact Caitlin Clark is already having on the WNBA and sports betting here in New Hampshire. We could not be more pleased with the WNBA betting activity, and we are looking forward to continuing this momentum all season long,” said Charlie McIntyre, Executive Director, New Hampshire Lottery. “Most importantly, the incredible year-over-year WNBA betting growth means we can drive more revenue to support New Hampshire students, teachers and schools, which is always our primary focus.”
This season, the WNBA welcomed a number of high-profile players who just completed their college careers, including NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer and two-time national player of the year Caitlin Clark, who is drawing major interest from bettors in her first season with the Indiana Fever after being the first player selected in the WNBA draft last month. Players placed more than 2,000 bets during Clark’s first game, marking a nearly a 600% increase in wagers compared to the highest opening week game of 2023.
“Caitlin Clark is definitely making a major impact. She is the one everyone wants to see right now,” said DraftKings’ director of race and sportsbook operations, Johnny Avello, who has spent more than 30 years as an oddsmaker in Las Vegas. “But it is not just Caitlin Clark, interest is up across the board. There are more people watching WNBA games, there are more people betting and interested in betting on the WNBA, and we are responding to that trend by providing more betting opportunities.”
Avello noted other high-profile former college players also joined the WNBA this year, including former LSU star Angel Reese and South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso, which is also supporting WNBA betting growth.
New Hampshire residents can download the DraftKings Sportsbook app to place wagers through DraftKings, the exclusive digital operator in New Hampshire. 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: https://nhlottery.com/Sports/Mobile-Internet-Sports-Betting. For more information on playing responsibly, visit: https://www.nhlottery.com/Play-Responsibly.