New Casino Bill Proposed in New Hampshire

A New Hampshire casino bill is back thanks to Democratic Senator Lou D’Allesandro, who has sponsored a casino bill for 16 years. He is willing to continue the fight by introducing new legislation, Senate Bill 133, that casino supporters describe as perfect for New Hampshire.

Currently, New Hampshire residents are gambling and spending their money in other states because of the limited gambling offered in their home state. Residents are permitted to gamble on games like poker and blackjack, but only in charitable events that are held in different venues.

D’Alessandro believes that New Hampshire needs casinos in order to boost the economy, create more jobs, and keep the money of gamblers within the borders of the state. Senate Bill 133 would approve the creation of two casinos, with one being half the size of the other, adding 5000 slot machines and 240 table games. The new bill isn’t much different than past legislation except there are no restrictions on location and it strengthens regulatory control - a main concern of lawmakers.

It also has a lot more revenue sharing than past legislation, and as D’Allesandro said, - "every person in the state has a stake in this piece of legislation."

Last year, when the proposed bill for casino legalization was defeated by a difference of only one vote in the House of Representatives, a lot of people were celebrating its failure. Many are of the opinion that casino gambling will lead to more crime in the state and that it will certainly have an impact on the quality of life in New Hampshire.

However, it seems that the bill's supporters are determined to win the battle and finally establish casinos in the state. It is believed that this time around, many lawmakers will support gaming expansion because of its potential economic benefits.

Gov. Maggie Hassan is one of the supporters of casino gambling and she strongly believes that it would be the right thing for New Hampshire. But Hassan did not reveal if she would back a bill that calls for two casinos.

Despite all the failures, D’Allesandro will not give up and is intent on continuing to fight for casino legalization in New Hampshire. With no casinos in the state, the only choice residents currently have is to stick with charitable gambling in-state or travel to neighboring states.

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