New Hampshire Casino?

More Casino Talk from the Granite State

Batter Up!
Before the Massachusetts expansion of gambling in New England, the promotion of a casino in New Hampshire, let alone the discussion of a casino, was a topic covered as much as surfing at Hampton Beach. In other words, it just wasn't.

But now, the discussion is beginning to approach the intensity of Sox-Yankees Fenway clash.

When I started this blog less than a year ago, the idea of gaming in NH besides the lottery wasn't something I intended to cover. Then, BOOM! - an explosion (some might say implosion) of Casino News! Instead of Paul Revere, it would be NH revolutionary war hero John Stark yelling, "The Mass Casinos are Coming! The Mass Casinos are Coming!"

Here's a quick overview of just some talk from New Hampshire during the last few weeks:

Con: "...the proposal to expand gambling is more than just a quick revenue fix or a blemish on what makes New Hampshire special. It is about economic reason and an adequate reckoning of almost-certain negative consequences..." Tom Sederic, Appointed as an adviser to the New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development by the last three governors and Executive Council

Pro: "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," Governor Hassan said. "With intense competition from Massachusetts looming, the time to move forward is now to benefit New Hampshire while maintaining our brand as a safe, family-friendly state with a vibrant outdoor economy." Gov. Maggie Hassan.

Pro & Con: In a study released in March, Steve Norton of the New Hampshire Center for Public Policy, a private nonprofit and non-partisan think tank, said "revenues to the state would be far less than supporters maintain. The study said what is known is that the desire for people to gamble increases the closer they are to a casino: 48 percent will have the propensity to gamble if a casino is located within a 30-minute drive; 30 percent, if it's within a 60-minute drive, and 20 percent, if it takes 90 minutes to reach." However, he also mentioned "...Nearly two-thirds of New Hampshire residents polled recently favored the opening of a casino in the Granite State, according to a WMUR Granite State poll released Friday. Legalizing casino gambling is an issue that has been fought over in the New Hampshire for years ...In recent years, the New Hampshire public has grown more receptive to gambling."

Pro: NH Building and Construction Trades Council, the Granite State Teamsters, Ironworkers Local 7, NEA-NH, NH Troopers Association, Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 131, Professional Firefighters of NH, State Employees Association, and IBEW Locals 104, 490 and 2320 point to the following benefits of a casino - more than $425 million in private investment, creation of 3,165 on-site construction jobs, 567 indirect construction jobs and 1,949 full-time jobs in the operation of the casino.

Con: "...there's the math. In casino gambling, the many must lose in order that the few may win. Don't be born with a gambling instinct unless you have a very good understanding of probabilities. An easy way to return from a casino with a small fortune is to go there with a large one.  Let's be straight. The transfer of revenues from casinos to governments doesn't result in new societal wealth or economic activity. It's simply a transfer of wealth from one group to another. Casino revenue cannot be counted as a benefit to society except in fuzzy thinking. A quantitative study estimates that casino gambling has a net social cost of $156 per person."
Dick Rozek, Portsmouth, NH

That's all for now. But the game is just beginning. Lester is taking his warm-ups. Get yourself a Fenway Frank, a beer and get settled. This game could be a good one to watch.

Binbin