New Hampshire has launched several online lottery products this week, becoming the sixth state in the country to offer this popular activity to Internet users. Unlike most forms of gambling which are banned in the Granite State, the lottery has enjoyed huge popularity since the 1960’s.
In fact, New Hampshire was the first state to offer a lottery back in 1964 when the results depended on the outcome of horse races. Tickets to the sweepstakes, as it was called, were mostly sold at liquor stores and the state profited from the sales. Today, customers can choose from a range of lottery products across most jurisdictions in the United States. Since this week, they can participate in the New Hampshire lottery even online.
The move follows Governor Chris Sununu’s approval of an online lottery in July last year. The state has selected Michigan-based lottery firm NeoPollard Interactive as the provider of the new platform. Rolling out the online solution, the state lottery wants to offer new and more diverse gaming options to its customers and improve the player experience, said in a statement Charlie McIntyre, Executive Director of the New Hampshire Lottery. The online platform would also enhance players’ direct interaction with the games, he explains.
Although the news of the launch come this week, the iLottery was, in fact, rolled out quietly on September 4. In Thursday’s official announcement New Hampshire Lottery said that more than 4,200 players have already participated in the different lottery games. During this period, users have deposited almost $100,000 in their gaming accounts in order to buy tickets, while the iLottery has paid out winnings of a little over $360,000.
A total of eight instant lottery games are offered by iLottery but the current lineup is likely to grow over time. Players can also purchase tickets for Powerball and Mega Millions, the nation’s two largest lotteries.
Full Suite of Lottery Products
With its new and already running online platform, New Hampshire is the sixth state to offer a lottery over the Internet. Illinois’ lottery product went live in March 2012, followed by Georgia, which introduced its online lottery in just a few months, in November. Michigan joined them in 2014 and Kentucky followed in 2016.
Earlier this year, in June, Pennsylvania rolled out its online lottery and added an online sportsbook. Casinos in the state, however, opposed the online sports betting solution and filed a suit against the lottery. A total of seven casinos are petitioning, including Parx Casino, Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino and Racetrack, the Meadows Casino Racetrack Hotel, Stadium Casino, Valley Forge Casino Resort, and Mohegan Sun Pocono.
Two weeks ago, New Hampshire also launched its iLottery but unlike everyone else, they did so with no official announcement. Currently, each of the six states is offering different lottery products. For example, Pennsylvania has only instant win games, while Michigan offers draws, instant win games and Keno.
There are also states such as New York, Maine, North Dakota, Virginia, and North Carolina, which only have subscription services. New Hampshire, on the other hand, has prepared a full suite of lottery products and players can win tickets and participate in draws and instant win games. A subscription service is also available.
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