Close to 80 towns will be voting on the gambling game keno in March, a spokesperson for the New Hampshire Lottery Commission said.
Towns had a Jan. 9 deadline to decide whether they wanted to put keno on the ballot for town meeting. Seventy-six towns responded in favor of letting residents decide on the gambling game, N.H. Lottery Marketing Director Maura McCann said.
A requirement for “Keno603,” marketed as a digital cross between bingo and a lottery scratch ticket, is that it be installed in a “pouring establishment” – a restaurant or club that serves liquor.
McCann said most towns that created a keno warrant have businesses eligible to install keno right away, but she also said some towns ineligible this year may be voting on keno with an eye on the future.
“You never know when a business might crop up and be interested in something like this,” McCann said.
Most warrants for keno were created after petitions were submitted by residents, McCann said.
Keno was already put to a vote this fall by more than 10 cities in New Hampshire.
Voters in Franklin were the first to approve the game in a citywide election Oct. 3. Keno was next approved in Laconia, Claremont, Manchester, Nashua, Berlin and Somersworth during city elections in November. Concord, Dover and Keene voted against the game. Keno also failed in Rochester last November after a tie vote. State law requires a majority vote to pass.