New Hampshire Lottery Commission Exec Says WWE Betting Approval In NH ‘Very Unlikely’

USA (May 5, 2023) — Every day, WWE fans speculate online about the results of upcoming matches, while promotions do their best to leave them guessing what will happen next.

But the fact professional wrestling operates with predetermined outcomes still scares off sports betting officials.

New Hampshire Lottery Commission executive director Charlie McIntyre is the latest to voice hesitancy about allowing people to bet on WWE events.

“I have a fear of accepting wagers on any event that is perceived to have an outcome that is not based upon performance, but is based upon scripted or engineered efforts,” McIntyre recently told Sportico.

“It is very unlikely that New Hampshire would consider the WWE suitable content for sports betting,” McIntyre added.

CNBC reported earlier this year that WWE has started pushing state gambling officials to accept bets on its pro wrestling matches, pitching states on its efforts to keep match results more secretive. Among the recent efforts, WWE executives reportedly said they won’t inform wrestlers of the match results until hours before a big match, while the company also began working with the accounting firm Ernst & Young, which has worked with major award shows, like the Academy Awards, to keep results from leaking to the public.

The outlet reported that WWE, which merged with UFC last month under the Endeavor umbrella, has pin-pointed states like Michigan, Colorado and Indiana as potential places to get the ball rolling. Sports betting has been legal in the United States since 2018, although individual states have made their own mandates dictating the practice.

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SOURCE: Wrestling Inc (www.wrestlinginc.com).