Casino Debate Heats up House

CONCORD, NH –The House debate over casino gambling has rumbled into its second hour, with supporters of Senate Bill 152 trying to overturn a committee recommendation that the bill be killed.

Rep. Stephen Spratt (D-Greenville) and Rep. Patricia Lovejoy (D-Stratham) opened the floor fight. Spratt said the proposed casino would mean revenue for the state, and offset New Hampshire dollars flowing to out-of-state casinos. Lovejoy maintains that a casino would result in higher crime, greater problem gamblers and other social costs.

Referring to the social costs cited by opponents, Spratt said morality has never been successfully legislated in this country's history. 

One of the state representatives speaking against the casino bill has supported expanded gambling in the past. Rep. Steve Vaillancourt (R-Manchester) said SB 152 gives a monopoly to one out-of-state company. "Greed is rampant from head to toe in this bill," Vaillancourt said.

Other speakers supporting the casino bill touted its economic benefits.

Rep. Gary Azarian (R-Salem) said the proposed casino would bring thousands of jobs to the state.

Senate Bill 152 calls for up to 150 table games and no more than 5,000 video slot machines at one “high-end” casino. The Senate voted 16-8 to pass the bill in March. While it breezed through that chamber, a House committee spent a month studying proposed regulations, revenue projections and community impact of a casino before recommending, by a 23-22 vote, that the full House kill the bill.

Supporters argued New Hampshire should allow one casino to help fund state priorities – and Gov. Maggie Hassan included a proposed $80 million casino license fee in her recommended budget. The backdrop to this historic debate is the emerging casino economy in Massachusetts. Hassan underscored that earlier this session:

“We can no longer pretend that expanded gambling isn’t coming to our communities,” she said in her budget address. “The question is: will we allow Massachusetts to take revenue from New Hampshire residents to fund its needs, or will we develop our own plan that will allow us to address social costs and invest in our priorities.”

The bill calls for one location, which sponsors said would block proliferation, but that one venue is not identified in the legislation. Rockingham Park in Salem is one interested party, and there’s a proposed $600 million plan by Millennium Gaming for a casino and restoration of thoroughbred racing at the track.

"There will never be only one casino," Rep. Patricia Lovejoy (D-Stratham), a member of the House committee researching the bill, said last week. "There is no state that has one casino. Proliferation is a given."

Casino Free New Hampshire and Granite State Coalition Against Expanded Gambling were among the critics calling on state representatives to reject the casino bill.

David Abbott of Concord was among those outside the Statehouse this morning. “The bill itself has some major problems to it,” he said.

Supporters came out in force, too, including those citing the 81 percent support for a proposed casino in Salem.