From Law to Lottery
How Daniel Maloney’s LL.M. from Boyd Law Propelled Him to the Forefront of Sports Betting Regulation
As the director of sports betting for the New Hampshire Lottery since August 2020, William S. Boyd School of Law graduate Daniel Maloney, Jr., has closely watched the dramatic growth in legalized wagering on sports.
“I’m already where I wanted to be in 10 years,” said Maloney, who received his Masters of Law (LL.M.) in Gaming Law and Regulation at Boyd four years ago. “I love the job. I love the people.”
Maloney said New Hampshire is one of seven states where the lottery has the regulatory authority to conduct sports betting. DraftKings is the contracted operator for New Hampshire, and all proceeds go to the state’s educational trust fund. The Granite State authorized the first state-run lottery in 1964.
At the age of 39 when he arrived at Boyd in 2019, Maloney didn’t feel grounded in his career. An attorney in New York City, he had been bouncing back and forth between banking and legal projects. He applied for the LL.M. program, knowing that gaming would expand nationwide.
Maloney said his favorite memory from his days pursuing the LL.M. degree was interning for the Gaming Control Board from March to May 2020 at the onset of the COVID pandemic. He was one of just three students participating in the internship, all interacting remotely. The first female chair of the Gaming Control Board, Boyd Professor Becky Harris, helped Maloney more fully understand gaming regulation and legislative changes. Board member Terry Johnson’s knowledge was also impactful.
“It was an insight into a premiere regulator’s mind,” Maloney said.
Professor Tony Cabot was another Boyd mentor. Selected as the school’s first Distinguished Fellow in Gaming Law, Cabot’s decades of experience representing gaming clients impressed Maloney.
“He was a wealth of knowledge. He put us at ease,” the New York native said.
New Hampshire bettors wagered $18.2 million on the 2024 NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments alone and placed a total of $3.2 billion in mobile and retail sports bets since the state’s sports wagering began in December 2019.
“To get the job as a regulator was really impressive,” Maloney said. “That’s all on the (LL.M) program. The program is so impressive on its own. It really separated me from other candidates.”