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State of Play’s TL;DR
- New Hampshire’s SB 104, which would legalize online casinos, cleared its first Senate hurdle in a 13-11 vote.
- Projected revenue and charity casino concerns drove debate.
New Hampshire’s push to legalize online casinos is still alive, but just barely.
SB 104 passed its first Senate test Monday by a 13-11 vote and now heads to the Senate Finance Committee.
The close vote highlights how divided lawmakers remain over whether online casinos would create a meaningful new revenue stream or pull money away from the state’s charity casino market.
For now, the bill is still in play but far from the finish line.
SB 104 survived with narrow bipartisan support
According to the Union Leader, SB 104 advanced after winning support from Senate President Jeb Bradley, R-Wolfeboro. The bill came from Ways and Means Chairman Tim Lang.
Senate Republicans backed the measure 10-4, while Democrats opposed it 7-3. Supporters argued online gambling could expand overall gaming revenue rather than cannibalize existing business. Lang pointed to New Jersey as an example:
“They didn’t lose money, they actually increased (overall gambling) revenue.”
State lottery estimates cited in the report project the expansion would generate $5 million in Year 1, $20 million in Year 2, and $30 million by Year 3.
Revenue promise meets charity casino resistance
Opponents focused on the possible effect on New Hampshire’s 16 charity casinos. Sen. Bill Gannon warned:
“We are going to eat away at our charity money.”
The report said Churchill Downs was the only entity publicly opposing the bill. It did so through lobbyist and former Senate President Peter Bragdon. Churchill Downs owns Chasers Poker Room and Casino in Salem.
Under SB 104, 35% of net profits would go to scholarships for students in the Community College System of New Hampshire, while about 10% would go to the lottery to administer the program.
Supporter Sen. David Watters argued the bill would “grow the pie” and help build the state’s future workforce.
Based on reporting by Kevin Landrigan for the Union Leader.
