New Hampshire Casino Bill Seeks to Extend Nonprofit Gaming Benefits
Posted on: March 10, 2026, 03:59h.
Last updated on: March 9, 2026, 03:59h.
- New Hampshire’s charitable gaming law could soon be amended
- Charities can currently be a casino’s beneficiary for 10 days a year
- A bill that has cleared the state Senate would reduce the allowable number of days to seven
New Hampshire is unique in how it regulates casino gambling, as a considerable portion of the gross revenue must go to nonprofits. Legislation that has cleared the state Senate seeks to bring more charitable organizations into the gaming market.
Since 1977, when lawmakers authorized charitable gaming, a casino’s gaming machines and table games must primarily benefit nonprofits.
Each day, a casino must partner with two qualified nonprofits that are registered with the state. At the end of the day, the charities split 35% of the day’s gross gaming revenue (GGR).
Senate Bill 542, led by state Sen. Tim Lang (R-Sanbornton) and cosponsored by six Republicans and a single Democrat, would reduce how many days a year a charity could be that day’s beneficiary. Under current law, a nonprofit can choose a certain nonprofit for up to 10 days. SB542 would reduce that to seven days.
Nonprofit Reach
New Hampshire has 14 charitable casinos. Many of the casinos, however, designate the same beneficiaries each month and year.
Supporters of SB542 say that leaves many smaller nonprofits, ones that might not have the same name recognition as a Make-A-Wish and Big Brothers Big Sisters, on the sidelines.
SB542 passed the New Hampshire Senate in January on a voice vote. The bill is now in the House of Representatives, where it’s being reviewed by the Ways and Means Committee.
Lang says cutting each charity’s maximum number of days to be a casino’s beneficiary would allow more than 400 nonprofits to additionally participate in the Granite State’s gaming market.
Growing Industry
In 2025, New Hampshire casinos directed over $60 million to charitable causes from their games of chance and slot-like historical horse racing machines (HHR). The benefit is expected to increase in 2026, as the introduction of video lottery terminals (VLTs) only began last fall.
VLTs complete a spin about five seconds faster than an HHR terminal, which are parimutuel-based games that calculate odds on previously run horse races. New Hampshire overhauled the charitable gaming law through the state’s two-year budget last year.
In exchange for the VLT privileges, the casinos agreed to send the state a larger cut, with the gross gaming tax increased from 25% to 31%. The casinos now retain 31.25% of the gross gaming revenue, down from 40%. Charities maintained their 35% allocation through the regulatory overhaul.
The New Hampshire Gaming Commission receives 2.5% for regulatory costs, and the remaining 0.25% is directed to the Governor’s Commission on Addiction, Treatment, and Prevention.
New Hampshire’s lone online sportsbook, DraftKings, shares 51% of its gross revenue with the state. Most of the tax benefit is used for education grants to public school districts.
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