Is it the the sound of the drone of slot machines in New Hampshire. Or, maybe it's the crescendo of "yeas" and "nays" in the Granite State Legislature.
The cries for and against expanded gambling were loud last week in the New Hampshire Statehouse, with close to 20 people testifying over three hours on Senate Bill 152. Gov. Maggie Hassan started off the hearing Gov. Maggie Hassan started off the hearing saying "Across New Hampshire our citizens have made it clear that a high-end casino is their preferred way to increase state support for our priorities." "We can no longer pretend that gambling isn't coming to our communities," Hassan added. "It is already here. It will bring an estimated 2,000 construction jobs and more than a thousand permanent jobs to New Hampshire," she said.
Sen. Lou D'Allesandro outlined the entire bill, which will include a 10-year license awarded to one bidder. Fees include an $80 million license fee paid upon the issuance of the license, a $500,000 initial application fee and $100,000 to the Attorney General for its character and fitness review.
Sen. Martha Fuller-Clark (D-Portsmouth) kicked off opposition to the bill, insisting that a casino needs to stay out of the Granite State. "I believe that gambling is the wrong solution to ensure economic security and to increase jobs," she said. "Across the country promised revenues of gambling have failed time and time again to materialize."
The deliberations reached a fever pitch during the lengthy hearing when Deputy Attorney General Ann Rice came out to oppose the legislation on behalf of her office.
Rice said that the "door is open for additional casinos" in the state once the gaming legislation is passed. She added that casinos generally impact a 50-mile radius, and that she isn't sure bringing gambling to New Hampshire is the way to address problems already coming up from Massachusetts given that radius of impact.
The fact that there is so much discussion in the legislature represents an interest that seemingly earlier was considered a non-issue just two years ago.
But consider the influence the Massachusetts gaming future is having in New England:
- CT Casinos are leery of losing patrons and their status as the gambling destination in New England
- Maine continues to look towards expansion, partially in denial of the casino interest west in NH
- NH is now talking about the possibility of casino expansion
- RI casinos are going in different directions - Twin River ramping up to take the Mass & CT casinos head on adding table games and Newport Grand treading water hoping continue to exist amongst the hoopla without having table games, being voted out by the Newport community.
And concerning New Hampshire, I think the plot is just opening.
A Royal Saga in unfolding - or maybe just being dealt!
That's all for now!
Binbin
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