Slots and no bet limits: State budget shakes up New Hampshire’s casino landscape

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Nash Casino ALEXANDER RAPP—

By SRUTHI GOPALAKRISHNAN

Monitor staff

Published: 07-01-2025 4:17 PM

Slot machines are expected to make their debut in some New Hampshire casinos by the end of the year, part of a broader effort to boost revenue for both the state and local charities. 

Alongside the new machines, the state is removing existing betting limits, giving players the freedom to place higher wagers during games.

Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed these sweeping changes into law on Friday through the policy arm of the state budget, known as the trailer bill, to pump more dollars into the state’s coffers by expanding its gaming industry. 

Not everyone is fully on board with the move.

Sen. Cindy Rosenwald, a member of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, said she understands the intent but remains cautious about the state’s increasing reliance on gambling dollars.

“I don't think it's predictable or necessarily sustainable. It's unclear to me how discretionary the spending is in these charitable casinos,” said Rosenwald. “If we go into a recession, for example, is that an activity that people drop?”

Reports from the New Hampshire Lottery Commission show revenue from games of chance, table games, like poker and blackjack, and historic horse racing (HHR) machines have been steadily increasing year after year. 

In 2022, these games brought in $8.3 million for the state. That number soared to $23.7 million in 2023 and climbed even higher to $35.2 million in 2024.

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These figures don’t include money generated from other sources like lottery tickets, sports betting and more.

Lawmakers and the Lottery Commission expect even more returns as slot machines replace HHR machines. Current HHR machines generate around $200 per day, but the Commission estimates slot machines could bring in an average of $300 daily per unit.

Still, some lawmakers remain skeptical—not about the gaming expansion itself but about where the money goes.

State Rep. Bill Ohm questioned the practice of funneling casino revenue to charities and nonprofits. He said charitable donations should come from individuals and foundations choosing to give, not from gambling revenue.

 “I think the state should generate revenue to pay the bills of the state and not generate extra money that's going to be allocated to charity,” said Ohm. “I think it's a little strange with a huge deficit, we're cutting hundreds of millions of dollars on important programs, to now give hundreds of millions of dollars to charities.”

New Hampshire’s decision to eliminate wager limits is also seen as a strategic move to attract high rollers. 

Initially, players were capped at $10 per bet for games like poker and blackjack. 

That limit rose to $50 last year, and now, there’s no ceiling at all, opening the door to bigger bets and potentially bigger revenue.

Sen. Tim Lang, a proponent of expanding gaming to increase state revenue, said the signed budget reflects the reality that casinos are no longer small, mom-and-pop operations.

He anticipates that over the next five years, “destination casinos” will begin to emerge across the state.

“I think it's going to be positive in the long run for the state and both for the tourism industry, as well as the revenues for the state,” said Lang.

But with the moratorium capping HHR licenses at 18, a limit set to remain in place until 2031, and with casinos dispersed across the state, Lang said he doesn’t expect New Hampshire to turn into the next Las Vegas.

“You're not gonna see one town become all gaming. I don't think anybody in New Hampshire wants that to happen,” he said. “ We just want to be able to allow the operators to be able to thrive and for New Hampshire to be able to allow its citizens or visitors to be able to do that. We are a very tourism-centric state.”

Addressing problem gambling

At present, if someone wants to avoid gambling, they can request to be placed on an exclusion list at specific casinos. 

But with the rapid expansion of gaming across the state, a more comprehensive solution is in the works. The latest budget includes funding to support problem gambling initiatives, including the creation of a statewide self-exclusion policy.

Before this centralized system can be rolled out, the state must first issue a request for proposals to find a company capable of implementing and managing it.

The budget also shifts the responsibility for addressing problem gambling from the Lottery Commission to the governor’s Commission on Alcohol and Other Drugs.

Lang said the change is logical, as different types of addiction often go hand in hand.

“Somebody addicted to one thing also has other addictions as well, and our goal is to treat it more holistically,” said Lang. “The goal is to be holistic in that approach when it comes to addiction and not have different messaging for different types of addiction.”

Other changes

The budget renames the New Hampshire Lottery Commission to the New Hampshire Lottery and Gaming Commission.

The new budget also establishes a 10-year commission on charitable gaming.

Legalized casinos in New Hampshire were initially introduced to support nonprofits through charitable donations. However, many organizations have struggled to be included in the casinos’ rotating donation schedules. 

The charitable gaming commission will focus on issues such as revenue distribution, casino expansion, limits on donations to individual charities and increasing the number of charities included in casino schedules.

Sruthi Gopalakrishnan can be reached at sgopalakrishnan@cmonitor.com