Some state revenue is down, but not the lottery

While some sources of state revenue have been hurting, one area showing growth is New Hampshire’s take from legalized gambling.

Sports betting, in particular, has been heating up, providing $38.9 million for public education in the 2025 fiscal year, up from $33.6 million the previous year, according to financial figures the NH Lottery provided.

The handle, or total amount of money wagered, in sports betting in the 2025 fiscal year was $818.4 million, compared to $753 million the previous year.

New Hampshire ranks third nationally in per capita state revenue from sports betting, according to the NH Lottery.

Charlie McIntyre, executive director of the lottery, said in a news release this week that the state is the “sports betting hub of the Northeast.

“We are extremely proud to have delivered a record amount of funding to support public education — maximizing revenue to support the students, teachers and schools of our state is what drives us every day.”

All lottery betting in the 2024 fiscal year resulted in $207.3 million for public education, up from $189.5 million in the previous year. Total numbers for the 2025 fiscal year are not yet available.

While revenue from the NH Lottery is growing, overall revenues the state uses to fund its operations have been limited by lower business tax receipts and the repeal of the Interest and Dividends Tax, according to a June report of the NH Fiscal Policy Institute.

Keno gaming was legalized in 2018, Internet-based iLottery was established in 2019 and sports betting was legalized in 2020. Lottery games also include scratch cards, Mega Millions and Powerball.

Lottery revenue, after administrative costs and payouts, is used for public schools.

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In its June report, the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute notes that there can be a downside to legalized gambling:

“Gambling addiction may generate costs to society. Some research suggests that the negative effects of gambling may fall disproportionately on people with lower incomes.”

The lottery website has tips for playing responsibly, including “set a limit on how much you will play, and stick to it — only play with money that you can afford to lose. Never borrow money to play.”

Another tip is to “know the odds.”

On Wednesday, the Powerball jackpot was estimated at $526 million, with a cash value of $241 million. The odds for winning were one in 292,201,338. By comparison, the odds of being struck by lightning in a given year are one in 1,222,000, according to the National Weather Service.

Since 1964, the lottery has provided more than $3 billion, or 28% of the money gambled, to public education, another 60% has gone to prize payouts, 6% to retailer commission, 4% for other costs of sales and 2% for administrative fees, the NH Lottery says on its website.

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Rick Green can be reached at 603-352-1234, ext. 1435, or rgreen@keenesentinel.com.

These articles are being shared by partners in the Granite State News Collaborative. For more information, visit collaborativenh.org.