I really don't understand the problem here. Everything has to be paid for, it costs money. The government only has two ways to do that, create a tax, or bring in money. We are not talking Atlantic City at Hampton here. There are beautiful resorts, that will probably be facing tough times in the coming years. By selling a gambling license to a few resorts, in different areas of the state, it increases the attraction. These would be a destination, where people with money go to spend it. They would need to hire more people, creating jobs, and bring in new revenue. I am sure those who complain the loudest don't need the jobs increased tourism would bring. We sell $30 scratch tickets. Someone stops for milk on the way home from work, buys a $1 scratch ticket, no problem. $30 scratch tickets can be a problem, no one argues with that. Most people hurting for money are not going to go to an expensive resort for the weekend, people who have it will. If you don't like gambling, don't go. I personally don't like spending ten minutes in line waiting for some idiot with 10 scratch tickets to turn in, but I can't avoid going to the store. I really don't think a couple of casinos in NH are going to open the doors to eternal damnation.

Please save me the trip to CT.

Its not time for a casino, its time to consider a broad-based sales tax. I just came back from Florida. I went to Wal-mart and spent $112 and paid a 6% sales tax. It didn't stop me from shopping in Florida and I'm sure it doesn't stop many others from frequenting Florida (or Maine or any other state with a sales tax). If I thought my property taxes would actually go down (drastically), I would gladly pay +$6 more for my every day purchases. My biggest fear is that NH won't reduce property taxes but WILL ultimately resort to some sort of broad based tax in NH. Everyone pays a sales tax, rich and poor alike, property owners and apartment dwellers. Its the only fair solution. The property tax system in NH doesn't work any more and all these comments, and the comments to the other article in the Monitor re "property values decreasing while property taxes increase", proves it.

I would like to ask the supporters of gambling if they feel there is an endless amount of discretionary income in the pockets of tourists visiting NH? Right now skiers and leaf peepers spend their discretionary income at current businesses in NH - a diverse group of varied businesses that reinvest it in the NEW HAMPSHIRE economy. Bring a casino into NH and a large portion of that discretionary income goes into one place, the casino (if you disagree then gambling doesn't raise the money its proponents claim). I see a casino as all your eggs in one basket. Add onto that the fact that much less of that discretionary income gets dumped back into the economy in NEW HAMPSHIRE. If you disagree do some research - go down to foxwoods see how many local shops are open anywhere near the casino.. there were some but they have all gone out of business! Visitors spend their money at the casino and no where else....that is not good for our current small businesses in NH. There is no free money people. That belief is what got America into our current crisis. I urge you to think beyond free money and look at the economics of this issue.

NH would do better processing and selling dope at the state stores along I93 next to the booze. The citizens would probably get a check each year back from the government like they do in Alaska if we made it legal.

Gambling will make a lot of money for someone, but it won't be the state. Lots of pawn shops where ever I see gambling. On line gamblers seem to be the young, and would probably increase among are college students at in-state, easily accessible casinos.

Why would we want to bring Casino's to NH? The vast majority of them are teetering on the verge of bankruptcy, with vacancy rates of 30% in Vegas. This sounds like the dream Ted Gastas envisioned when he formed the unholy alliance with John Lynch several years ago.

Why not try a novel idea and cut spending, after all it is our money, not the state of NH'S.

The people who are organized to oppose slot machines need to be accurate once in a while. "brothels are legal in Las Vegas" is simply not true. Despite the fact that slot machines and other gambling has been legal in Las Vegas for decades prostitution nor marijuana shops are not allowed there. NH led the way in 1964 with the lottery but we have now allowed other states to get ahead of us and reap the profits of slot machine revenue. Bangor Maine nowhas slot machines and I have not heard of that city falling apart as a result.

Have any of you opponents ever actually visited casinos in the many, many, states where they exisit? I have. We recently returned from living in two areas of the country, for 12 years, where casinos are plentiful and the normal weekend entertainment. It was fun and we miss it. We never had a gambling problem, never went bankrupt, and there weren't any brothels or marijuana shops nearby. GET REAL. Those who talk about bringing crime watch too much Hollywood. It just isn't so. On the other hand, at those casinos that post their payback percentages, even at 91 to 95% you lose more than you win, on average. So when I read NH's casino proposal suggests a payback of 85%, well, I'd likely visit once and never go back. Those are poor odds. If they don't let you win something, you don't go back; it's a fine line.

Let's not be small minded about this. Next door to the casino, make sure there is a NH State Liquor Store where you can also buy marijuana legally. Then on the other side of the casino, a state operated brothel for those who are tired of gambling and getting high. Just think of all the profits for NH, the new Sin Capital of the country. We could advertise this in major newspapers as "Come to NH, your adult entertainment capital of the Northeast. Get high, get laid, and leave your money at the casino,"

If you are thinking this scheme would not make much money, think again. Take a look at Las Vegas and how that city has grown with gambling the main industry. They also have legal brothels, so that is not a new idea either. And some states are considering making marijuana legal.

NH could be ahead of the curve!

LOL

Pat Kraft

I agree. Just think of all the money we could spend haveing fun in our own state,instead
of driveing out of state and eating/sleeping out of state.The only thing is that it would also give our state leaders another way to hire there poliical friends,same as the state run liquor monopoly and megabucks.
B- from Henniker

Hell, the "Smart Growth" Liberals in Warner don't even want Hotel built, where would the gamblers stay??