Committee advances bill to legalize online horse-race wagering, standardize tax rate

Senate Bill 60, a measure to authorize advanced deposit wagering (ADW) — online or remote betting on horse races — moved out of the Senate Ways and Means Committee after a public hearing and an executive-session amendment.

The bill’s prime sponsor, Sen. Tim Lang, introduced the measure as a modernization of an older statute and said it would let New Hampshire residents place bets on events such as the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness using a phone or other digital means. “This bill would allow you to be able to place your bet on your phone,” Lang said during the hearing.

Why it matters: The state currently allows betting at two designated in-person locations; SB 60 would permit remote wagering and bring the activity under state regulation, giving the Lottery Commission the ability to require consumer…