It was reported this week that a New Hampshire special House committee that has been charged with researching the possibility of gambling in the state has voted against it. The vote was very close.
According to reports, a panel formed of the New Hampshire House Ways, Means and Finance committees had a vote that ended up being 23 to 22 to recommend that the House kill the Senate bill. The Senate bill, if kept, will allowed as many as 5,000 video slot machines as well as some 150 table games. The House is scheduled to vote on the bill next week.
Before the panel voted, they heard information concerning 17 amendments. These amendments covered a lot of ground including strengthening regulatory controls, making a license good for 20 years rather than 10 years, and allowing new applicants to request licenses. Another proposed change would allow businesses with a valid liquor license to also provide video slot machines if they wished. Other amendments would change the way profits are divided.
Additionally, amendments were put forth that would prohibit political contributions if those are made to state candidates and it would also ban them from soliciting donations from casino operators. Other changes would limit to 1500 seats any indoor entertainment events and would require all applicants to go into agreements with other local entertainment centers that might be affected by the casino’s live shows. It was also proposed that casinos stop selling alcohol at 1 am.
None of the amendments were voted on before the panel voted to kill the currently proposed bill. Many of the bill’s supporters were frustrated and disappointed by this move. Opponents to the bill argued that current bill was flawed.
This latest vote was only a recommendation. Supporters of the bill plan to continue to fight for it on the state’s House floor. Because of House rules, those same supporters will need to defeat the voted motion to kill the current bill before any movement forward will be considered. It should be noted that NH House has, in the past, considered dozens of different casino bills but has never passed a single one.
Maggie Hassan, the governor of NH and a Democrat, has long lobbied for members in the House to give their support to the Senate bill. In fact, the governor included about $80 million in her budget that would come from licensing fees. The NH House budget that was recently passed and sent to the Senate contains no gambling revenue. Many of the Senate Republicans claim that their budget would actually spend less than what is in the House proposal and that it does not accept the House budget assumptions of gambling revenue.
Even so, it can be said that both sides do at least agree that it is not likely NH would realize any gambling revenue within two years other than the fees from the gambling licenses.
The next move for the proposal will take place in the House and insiders believe that this next stop vote will be close. If supporters cannot move forward, no one is sure what will happen next or when that might happen.