New Hampshire Legislators Debate Casino Bill

The battle over casino revenues in New England heated up yet again this week, as New Hampshire became the latest state to consider legalizing casino gambling.

A bill has already been floating around the New Hampshire House of Representatives that would create room for casinos in New Hampshire. But new amendments to the bill have greatly expanded what these facilities would look like.

The amended bill would provide licenses for four different casinos in the state. These casinos would, in total, host 14,000 slot machines and 420 table games. There would be two different styles of casinos allowed under the amended bill: two 5,000-slot, 150-table casinos, as well as two smaller sites that would host 2,000 slots and 60 table games each.

This is a huge change from the original intent of the gambling bill. Under the initial plan, the state would only license two slot parlors, with no full casinos being authorized. In addition, the new bill would allow all four licenses to be awarded at once, while simultaneously lowering the state’s business tax.

All of this has been done in an attempt to rapidly compete with neighboring Massachusetts. That state has already approved a bill that will allow for three full casinos and a slot parlor, and many in New Hampshire fear that this will drive visitors and tax revenue away from their state.

But by beginning the process of licensing casinos immediately, some legislators hope that New Hampshire can get the jump on their neighbor and keep attractive visitors, as well as keep their own residents from traveling to casinos in Massachusetts. In addition, some have pointed to the jobs that will be created by the casinos as well as their construction.

If the bill passes, some of the casino locations have already been determined, at least in vague terms. One of the larger casinos is likely to be placed in Salem, a town near the Massachusetts border. A small casino has also been promised to one of the state’s economically depressed locations, with Coos County being a likely candidate.