Concord, NH – The country’s first state-run Lottery is celebrating 60 years of winning by introducing new ways for its players to win. The New Hampshire Lottery is marking its 60th anniversary with two new scratch tickets: a $25 Diamond Jubilee scratch ticket with a top prize of $2 million, and a $5 60th Anniversary Celebration scratch ticket with a top prize of $60,000. The New Hampshire Lottery is also introducing a new e-Instant game version of Diamond Jubilee to play online with a top prize of $20,000.

Then-Governor John W. King signed legislation making New Hampshire home to the first state-run lottery in the nation on April 30, 1963, and the first tickets went on sale March 12, 1964. To help celebrate its 60th Anniversary, the New Hampshire Lottery created a new ad campaign, which can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px2cIwrIcrU.

“Sixty years ago, we celebrated the establishment of the first Lottery in the nation, and today we celebrate six successful decades of providing the people of New Hampshire with exciting ways to win, while also providing important revenue in support of the students, teachers and schools of our state,” said Charlie McIntyre, Executive Director, New Hampshire Lottery. “We are proud of how we have evolved and responded to an ever-changing gaming landscape, through it all maintaining the highest levels of integrity and promoting safe and responsible play. Here is to 60 more years of new games, big wins and good luck for our New Hampshire players. Remember, when you play the Lottery in New Hampshire, everyone wins!”

Since its inception, the New Hampshire Lottery has recorded more than $9.1 billion in lottery sales and other earnings, with more than $6.2 billion paid in prizes and other cost of sales. The New Hampshire Lottery has maintained its commitment to education, with net proceeds to New Hampshire schools totaling more than $2.64 billion to date.

“Although a lot has changed over the past 60 years, one thing remains true for the New Hampshire Lottery and that is our dedication to maximizing revenue for New Hampshire schools across the state,” said Debra Douglas, Chairman of the New Hampshire Lottery Commission. “With an innovative and strategic approach, new games, billion-dollar-plus Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots, retail and online sales platforms and more, the New Hampshire Lottery continues to keep our loyal players engaged, while also finding ways to reach new audiences.”

Just since 2017, the New Hampshire Lottery has made significant enhancements and additions to its menu of offerings. This includes the introduction of KENO 603, the launch of NH iLottery, the implementation of sports betting, the development of the NH Lottery mobile app, and the introduction of countless scratch ticket games, as well as numerous other initiatives.

The New Hampshire Lottery recently broke its all-time sales record in Fiscal Year 2023, surpassing $603 million in total sales, marking a 12% or $66.5 million increase from its previous record high of $536.7 million set the previous year. As a direct result of its record-breaking sales, the New Hampshire Lottery also generated an all-time high of nearly $187 million in support of New Hampshire public education.

The New Hampshire Lottery also recently celebrated four successful years of sports betting, with players collectively wagering more than $2.71 billion over the past four years. Since sports betting’s inception in December 2019, players have wagered more than $2.2 billion through online sportsbooks, and nearly $500 million at New Hampshire’s four retail sportsbooks, together generating more than $100 million for public education in New Hampshire.

NH Lottery History

Beginning in 1953, Keene State Rep. Laurence “Larry” Pickett initiated efforts to establish the nation’s first state-run lottery. Pickett introduced legislation five times over a 10-year span, finally finding success with the legislature when he earmarked lottery profits for public education.

Despite public support for the New Hampshire Sweepstakes, as the Lottery was initially known, legislators faced persistent criticism from the media and other groups, including the Catholic Church, which feared a lottery would turn New Hampshire into the “Las Vegas of the East.” Despite that criticism and pressure, Governor King signed the legislation in 1963, establishing the New Hampshire Sweepstakes as the first state-run lottery in the nation.

Governor King purchased the first $3 Sweepstakes ticket at Rockingham Park in Salem on March 12, 1964, jumpstarting the sale of tickets in New Hampshire. After marking $1 million in ticket sales, tickets were pulled from a large drum and paired with 332 thoroughbred horses nominated to run in a race at Rockingham Park. People from all over the United States came to New Hampshire to buy tickets for a chance to be a winner. Ultimately, six lucky winners matched with the winning horse, Roman Brother, and each winner took home $100,000.

During its first calendar year, the New Hampshire Lottery generated $5.7 million in tickets sales, with more than $1.8 million awarded to winners and $2 million delivered to New Hampshire education.

For more information on the New Hampshire Lottery, visit www.nhlottery.com.

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 60 years, the New Hampshire Lottery has recorded more than $9.1 billion in lottery sales and other earnings, with over $6.2 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.