It seems like the state of New Hampshire is moving closer to diversifying its gambling sector. Mere hours ago, Senate members gave their consent to the establishment of two casinos in the state. As many as 13 of them approved of the expansion of the casino sector while 11 members disagreed with the proposal.
The next step is submitting the Bill to the House and people with knowledge on the matter commented that the outcome and the final say of the New Hampshire officials will be particularly interesting as the House has never passed such a gambling-related proposal.
Senator Lou D’Allesandro who is the sponsor of the bill, commented on the upcoming legislation and said that they have to put in a lot of efforts and eventually these efforts will pay off.
Like every change that is expected to have a considerable impact on residents’ life, the expansion of the gambling sector attracted both opponents and proponents.
Those who support the casino establishment say that the gambling industry can greatly contribute to state’s coffers and boost the economy by creating new jobs. The bill is supported by key political figures but the number of those who oppose it is significant as well.
As already mentioned, those who are against the gambling expansion are convinced that the casino establishment would have a devastating effect on the state and can eventually cause a decrease in the number of tourists, if they make negative associations with the state of New Hampshire. Plus, they are not too optimistic about the wonderful revenues that are to be generated.
The neighboring states are also attempting to expand their gambling sector and the chances for the New England gambling market to get oversaturated is really high.
Back in 2014, the Senate passed a similar bill but the House members did not approved it.
New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan is also among the proponents of the casino expansion but she is more likely to support the establishment of one casino on the territory of the state and she is still hesitating as to whether to give the nod to a proposal that suggests two casinos.
If the casinos are established, they will not be allowed to operate, unless they obtain a license from a specially appointed gambling commission. As for the taxes that are to be generated via gambling activities they will be distributed among the cities of the state for various projects.
