New Hampshire considers bill allowing construction of two casinos

New Hampshire Senate recently voted 13 to 10 in favour of approving a bill, SB 242, which would authorise the construction of two separate casinos within the state’s borders.

After being considered in the Senate, the bill was moved to the Finance Committee, where it won an equal number of positive and negative votes. The bill – sponsored by Sen. Lou D’Allesandro – will now be up for consideration by the House.

However, this particular House has proved to be the biggest stumbling block for the casino industry in the state over the years, rejecting numerous efforts to pass casino legislation.

If the legislation is passed, two casinos will be erected: An $80m Category one venue with between 80 and 160 table games, and up to 3,500 slot machines; and a $40m Category two facility with between 25 and 80 table games, and up to 1,500 slot machines.

Revenue from the casinos will be contributed to the host communities and surrounding areas. It is estimated that the two venues, which could their open doors by 2021, could generate up to $200m during their first full year.

Three House of Representatives members have also introduced an online gambling bill, HB 562, which does not call for the legalisation and regulation of Internet gambling options, but would allow local players to gamble online without fear of prosecution. However, this comes with a worrying lack of regulation, which would leave local players vulnerable to unlicensed iGaming operations.