New Hampshire Lawmakers Consider Charitable Gaming Expansion Via Slots
Posted on: May 12, 2025, 12:21h.
Last updated on: May 12, 2025, 10:12h.
- New Hampshire doesn’t have traditional casinos
- Casinos in the state benefit charities
- Slots are prohibited, but that could soon change
The 14 casinos in New Hampshire that benefit charitable organizations could soon possess the legal right to swap out their historical horse racing (HHR) terminals for traditional Las Vegas slot machines.
Lawmakers in the Concord State House are considering New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s (R) wishes to expand gaming in the Granite State to increase funding for the many nonprofits the casinos benefit and the state.
Under current law, casinos can benefit up to two charitable causes a day, with 35% of the HHR and table game gross gaming revenue (GGR) required to be allocated to the nonprofits. The state receives 25%, and the remaining 40% is retained by the casino.
During Ayotte’s budget proposal earlier this year, the former United States senator, who assumed office in January, asked the General Court to send her a bill to authorize slot machines. Ayotte suggested that the state increase its take of the gaming revenue to 30% in exchange for the more popular games.
Lawmakers Weigh Expansion
New Hampshire’s charitable gaming industry benefits approximately 800 nonprofits annually. However, many smaller charities have raised concerns about struggling to get on a casino’s calendar.
New Hampshire allows a charity to be a casino benefactor for up to 10 days a year. The five Revo Casino facilities in Conway, Dover, Keene, Lebanon, and Manchester provided over $15 million in charitable funds last year to roughly 400 organizations. Revo has an online form where charities interested in being a recipient can apply.
Ayotte’s office believes authorizing slots, which complete a play/spin about five seconds faster than an HHR machine and come with lower overhead costs for casinos, could provide an additional $70 million in annual nonprofit funding. State lawmakers, however, want to ensure that if New Hampshire welcomes slots or slot-like video lottery terminals, charities that have complained about not receiving calendar days are included.
The charities that have already been included in a casino’s rotation say the benefit is significant.
“It’s an amazing thing to get a check from charitable gaming and to say, ‘Maybe we can supplement our food this week.’ We know that we compete with everybody, all these amazing nonprofits for the same revenue, the same dollars,” Jane Goodman, executive director of the Nashua Soup Kitchen & Shelter, told WMUR.
The casino assigns us our dates, and then we just pick up our check. It’s pretty simple,” Goodman explained of the process.
In June 2023, then-Gov. Chris Sununu (R) signed legislation that increased the maximum table game bet from $10 to $50. The bill additionally increased the amount a player could lose during a single game from $150 to $2,500.
iGaming on Hold
Earlier this year, New Hampshire lawmakers considered legislation to authorize iGaming on the state’s behalf, similar to retail and online sports gambling.
State Sen. Tim Lang (R-Belknap) and three other Senate Republicans filed Senate Bill 168. The statute seeks to allow the New Hampshire Lottery to issue between three to six online casino licenses, with internet GGR taxed at 45%. The tax would benefit the elderly, disabled, blind, and deaf, as well as special education.
SB168 was killed by the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
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