Casino Expansion in New Hampshire?
Senator Lou D’Allesandro is the next sponsor of the gambling expansion within the state of New Hampshire. He has presented a bill that proposes the construction of two new casinos that would make the state competitive in the casino industry and boost the budget directed to local communities and neighboring towns where the casinos will be built.
Last week, D’Allesandro’s SB 242 passed the Senate with a 13:10 margin which is one step further in his battle and it definitely gives hope. Prior to appearing before the House, the bill will need to get the green light from Senate Finance Committee, whose members have managed to hamper similar ambitions in the past. In 2014, a similar bill reached the House but it was one vote short of approval.
According to Senator Lou D’Allesandro, New Hampshire is not only letting the neighboring states move ahead in the casino industry, but it is also sending their residents to play elsewhere due to the lack of casinos within the state. This is how he comments on the situation:
“While New Hampshire has done nothing, surrounding states now have gaming entities,” he said. “They advertise on our TV stations and we send buses of New Hampshire residents to those other states to gamble. It’s time for New Hampshire to do something. No state that has done this (expanded gaming) has crumbled.”
SB242 proposes the construction of two casinos, one of which would operate under category one license, meaning that it would be able to house between 80 and 160 table games and between 2,000 and 3,500 slots. The other casino would hold category two license, which allows the operators to provide between 750 and 1,500 slot machines and between 25 and 80 tables. A fixed license fee would be set to $80 million for Category 1 license and $40 million for Category 2 license.
New Hampshire is not new to gambling. In fact the struggle to open the casinos has been going on for more than 15 years, but with no results. Currently, New Hampshire gamblers can play at card rooms which are regulated by The Racing and Charitable Gaming Commission. These venues are authorized and provide other gambling activities such as card and table games.
As far as other gambling activities go such as Keno and Daily Fantasy Sports, the legislators in New Hampshire have already filed relevant bills by the beginning of this year. The bill that suggests allowing Keno games at existing gambling locations was proposed by the House this January and successfully passed the voting, while now it is waiting for the hearings of the Senate and Means Committee. These hearings will review another gambling bill – HB 562, which concerns regulation of video gambling.
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