The House Has Casino Bills, Too

Emily Corwin / NHPR

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Although Governor Maggie Hassan has thrown her weight behind a gambling bill produced in the Senate, the House Ways and Means committee heard testimony today on two bills sponsored by House members.

Lincoln Representative Edmond Gionet’s bill allows for two casinos – one near the Massachusetts border, like the Senate bill, and another casino, in the White Mountains. Gionet says his proposal would bring just short of  $300 million into the state. And, he says “This bill does not have any politics, it does not have any favoritism.” That’s because it doesn’t specify which towns or developers would get the casino.

The committee also took up a plan sponsored by Representative Steve Vaillancourt. That bill provides for six casinos with a total of 5,000 slot machines.  Each would be staffed, managed, and operated by the state.  Vaillancourt’s bill estimates around $520 million in revenue, and would allow only for video slot machines, not high-stakes table gaming.