World Cup gambling scores a gooooal for NH Lottery

World Cup gambling scores a gooooal for NH Lottery

As the final whistle blew, and Spain cemented its World Cup championship win over Argentina on Sunday, New Hampshire Lottery officials also had reason to celebrate: The soccer tournament was a blockbuster gambling opportunity for the state.

Nearly 900,000 individual bets were placed during the tournament’s 104 matches, totaling almost $24 million played, state officials announced Tuesday. While New Hampshire didn’t host a match — and doesn’t have its own professional soccer team to support — local gamblers still confirmed the beautiful game’s appeal.

“Whether our players watched live, on TV, or followed along online, the results have exceeded our expectations,” said Charlie McIntyre, the New Hampshire Lottery’s executive director.

France was the betting favorite to win the tournament for New Hampshire residents, according to McIntyre. That may not have panned out, but there were also some successful longshots, including a $20 bet involving four matches that paid off nearly $14,000.

The final game alone saw more than $1 million in wagering, helping to make the tournament one of the single biggest sports wagering events since the state legalized gambling in 2019.

Under a contract with DraftKings, New Hampshire retains 50% of proceeds from sports wagering conducted in the state, which helps fund public education.