Lawmakers to Vote Today on Hotly Contested Casino Bill

All cards are on the table today for a piece of legislation that would bring a highly regulated casino to the state of New Hampshire.

Members of the House of Representatives will vote on Senate Bill 152 during their session, slated to begin at 10 a.m.

The bill calls for up to 150 table games and no more than 5,000 video lottery/slot machines at one casino location in the state

By a 23-22 vote last week, a special House Committee of Finance and Ways and Means recommended SB 152 "inexpedient to legislate."

The vote came after a slew of amendments were presented in the committee's morning work session that would have completely reworked the bill that passed the New Hampshire Senate with overwhelming support back in March.

None of those 17 amendments were voted on before the ITL motion. Several are listed on the House calendar for this morning.

Those in support of a New Hampshire casino remain optimistic as today's vote looms.

Rich Killion, spokesman for Millennium Gaming, said last week that the close committee vote showed progress:

The one vote difference between support and opposition among the joint committee is light years from where this process started just last month.   Despite committee composition encompassing nearly a 2-to-1 history of opposing expanded gambling, this vote shows real progress and real momentum generating as it goes to the floor next week.

Millennium Gaming holds the option to purchase Rockingham Park should the racetrack be awarded the casino bid that would come from out of SB 152.

The most recent casino proposal presented at the racetrack was estimated at over $600 million.

Salem voters also got behind SB 152 in March, as 81 percent of voters approved of a casino in a non-binding referendum on the ballot.

But state representatives in Salem are split on the issue. On Tuesday, Rep. John Sytek (R-Salem) posted his position against the bill on Salem Patch.

Other Salem lawmakers, such as Rep. Gary Azarian (R), have supported the bill.

Azarian last week was less optimistic about today's vote, calling the joint committee's ITL motion "a blow for Rockingham Park."

New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan (D) has backed SB 152. She said last week that she believes the full House will give a more complete consideration to the legislation and the proposed bipartisan amendments.

Groups that have campaigned against the bill include the Granite State Coalition Against Expanded Gambling and Casino Free New Hampshire.

Both groups will be outside of Representatives Hall at the statehouse in Concord this morning, as announced on their Facebook pages.

Casino advocacy groups such as Fix it Now NH are expected to arrive in support of the legislation.