Within the last month, legislators in both Florida and New York have come out in favor of legalizing casino gambling in those two states. Now the
Manchester Union Leader is reporting that New Hampshire is also considering casino licenses.
In response to pressure from a new casino bill that’s expected to pass in Massachusetts, New Hampshire legislators heard arguments this week on a bill that would issue two casino licenses in the state, with applications due in January of 2013.
During the hearings, Rep. David Hess had witnesses stress the bill was meant to fund tax cuts, not increased spending, with the majority of the casino taxes being placed in the state treasury.
According to the bill, the state would be paid 35 percent of all slots machine and 8 percent of all table game revenues. It would also earn license fees of $50 million per casino.
Despite the house having defeated gambling bills in the past, Rep. Steve Stepanek, who authored the current plan, feels that due to the pending legislation in Massachusetts “the dynamic has changed,” Passing the bill now will prevent the loss of charitable gaming and lottery sales in New Hampshire, he said.
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