Gaming Legislation Coming as Casino Support Remains High

The New Hampshire Gaming Regulatory Oversight Authority is expected Wednesday to begin drafting legislation and making preliminary decisions about the new gaming regulations they plan to pitch to lawmakers in December.

The group has already discussed the need to strengthen the state Lottery Commission — which under the new legislation would oversee the lottery, a casino and charitable gambling — by adding two members and making the chairman full-time, according to the Associated Press.

BusinessWeek.com has reported, though, that the panel "does not plan to include financial details about a casino" in the draft legislation. Instead of including details like the number of authorized video slots or tax rates, the panel's report will include information that affects those policy decisions, according to BusinessWeek.com.

The discussions progress as New Hampshire voters continue to support expanded gambling, according to a poll released last week by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center.

The results of the Granite State Poll show that 59 percent of New Hampshire adults support opening a casino in the state. Thirty-three percent oppose it and 8 percent are neutral or unsure. That support remains consistent with previous surveys the university has conducted on the same subject.

With the exception of regular churchgoers, the survey also showed that majorities of all demographic and political groups favor a casino in New Hampshire. 

A bill to legalize casino gambling was passed by the Senate this year, but killed by the House in March. Another casino bill is expected to be considered by the Legislature next year. 



Patch Regional Editor Marc Fortier contributed to this story.