St. Paul’s School, one of the state’s most elite college-preparatory institutions, received more than $200,000 in donations from a New Hampshire casino last year.
Meanwhile, a local nonprofit serving hundreds of people experiencing homelessness in Concord barely scraped together just over $14,000 from the same charitable gaming system.
This disparity among nonprofit organizations — from those that rake in the most money to those who benefit the least — can be directly attributed to the number of nights a casino partners with them and the popularity of the casino itself, a review of public records shows.
St. Paul’s, which uses the money to support its summer program for public high school students, got a portion of its proceeds from 10 nights of gambling at The Brook Casino in Seabrook, one of the state’s hottest betting spots.
By contrast, the proceeds received by the Concord Coalition to End Homelessness came from five nights at the Revo Casino in Lebanon, near the Vermont border.
The inequity isn’t limited to Concord. The disproportionate spread of donations from New Hampshire’s charitable gaming industry underscores a program that creates distinctions among charities and nonprofits throughout the state: the haves and the have-nots.
Multiple organizations chose not to speak out about the system for fear of being dropped by casino operators altogether. While the lottery commission outlines the rules for charitable gaming, a group that feels mistreated or overlooked has no official recourse.
The Coalition walked away with $14,218 from Revo last year.
Kait Gallagher, director of development and communications at the coalition, said any amount of money is helpful, but the disparity is frustrating, especially at a time when the funding landscape is running dry.
“I think if the money is there, it should be spread around in a meaningful way and an impactful way, ” said Gallagher. “It’s disheartening to hear that there are organizations that are getting upwards of six figures, and then there are organizations like ours and others that I’ve heard of that are getting barely $15,000.”
If the Coalition were to receive $200,000, it could hire several additional staff members and expand its programs and services, she said.
Uneven playing field
A legislative study committee is examining the flaws and loopholes in New Hampshire’s 14 casinos that make up the state’s charitable gaming industry, which generates nearly half a billion dollars in total revenue.
In 2025, charities received $64 million in donations while the state collected $60 million. But the biggest winners were the game room operators themselves, who brought in about $250 million from horse racing and games of chance alone. Video lottery games are also on track to generate another $75 million annually.
The committee is exploring ways to bring more charities into the system and considering whether a cap should be placed on how much any single non-profit can receive.
But there’s a line lawmakers are hesitant to cross: deciding which charities deserve a spot on a casino’s roster — or how much they should be making.
“One of the concerns has been picking winners and losers,” said State Rep. John Janigian, a member of the committee. “I think most on the committee are afraid, we don’t want to be picking winners and losers.”
When New Hampshire expanded casino gambling, the goal was straightforward: funnel a portion of the revenue to charities and nonprofits. To participate, organizations must apply and be selected by casinos for a spot on their rotating schedules.
The state does not oversee how casinos select their nonprofit partners; the decision is entirely up to the casinos themselves.
At larger gaming halls like The Nash Casino or The Brook, charities can expect minimum payouts of around $50,000, records show.
Last year, St. Paul’s School partnered with The Brook and received $204,616 in donations. In 2024, the school received $94,547.
In a statement to the Monitor, the school said the donations go toward the Advanced Studies Program and “directly invests in expanding educational opportunities for New Hampshire students and in promoting high school teaching as a career.”
Luke Reynard, executive director of NFI North — the nonprofit that runs the Philbrook Adult Transitional Housing Facility in Concord — said his organization has had no issues partnering with Revo Casino in Lebanon.
The nonprofit, which provides mental and behavioral health services, received $33,646 in donations last year, records show.
Still, higher donations would go a long way in supporting programs like his, Reynard said.
“From my perspective, I do think some of the foundational services that have a larger impact might make sense to be more heavily donated to, particularly in light of current economic conditions around health care and mental health care in particular,” he said.
Strings attached
Charities and nonprofits are sometimes asked to promote the days they partner with casinos, helping draw more players and, in turn, boosting the casino’s revenue.
But this can be tricky for some groups, depending on the communities they serve.
Gallagher said that while Revo Casino hasn’t required it, the Coalition has been encouraged to advertise, a sensitive issue given that some of the people they serve have struggled with gambling addiction.
Others have found themselves scheduled on slower days, like weekdays or certain holidays, or even left off the roster entirely the following year if they don’t advertise.
“I’ve been very upfront with my contact at Revel Casino that, because of the work that we do, we’re not comfortable with making a big public display of the relationship that we have with the casino,” she said. “They’ve been fairly receptive to that.”
