- New Hampshire’s charitable gaming regulation might quickly be amended
- Charities can at the moment be a on line casino’s beneficiary for 10 days a yr
- A invoice that has cleared the state Senate would cut back the allowable variety of days to seven
New Hampshire is exclusive in the way it regulates on line casino playing, as a substantial portion of the gross income should go to nonprofits. Laws that has cleared the state Senate seeks to carry extra charitable organizations into the gaming market.
An aerial view of a New Hampshire city in Autumn. Laws in New Hampshire seeks to restrict how usually a charity could be a on line casino’s beneficiary. (Picture: Shutterstock)
Since 1977, when lawmakers approved charitable gaming, a on line casino’s gaming machines and desk video games should primarily profit nonprofits.
Every day, a on line casino should associate with two certified nonprofits which can be registered with the state. On the finish of the day, the charities break up 35% of the day’s gross gaming income (GGR).
Senate Invoice 542, led by state Sen. Tim Lang (R-Sanbornton) and cosponsored by six Republicans and a single Democrat, would cut back what number of days a yr a charity could possibly be that day’s beneficiary. Beneath present regulation, a nonprofit can select a sure nonprofit for as much as 10 days. SB542 would cut back that to seven days.
Nonprofit Attain
New Hampshire has 14 charitable casinos. Lots of the casinos, nonetheless, designate the identical beneficiaries every month and yr.
Supporters of SB542 say that leaves many smaller nonprofits, ones that may not have the identical identify recognition as a Make-A-Want and Large Brothers Large Sisters, on the sidelines.
SB542 handed the New Hampshire Senate in January on a voice vote. The invoice is now within the Home of Representatives, the place it’s being reviewed by the Methods and Means Committee.
Lang says slicing every charity’s most variety of days to be a on line casino’s beneficiary would permit greater than 400 nonprofits to moreover take part within the Granite State’s gaming market.
Rising Trade
In 2025, New Hampshire casinos directed over $60 million to charitable causes from their video games of probability and slot-like historic horse racing machines (HHR). The profit is anticipated to extend in 2026, because the introduction of video lottery terminals (VLTs) solely started final fall.
VLTs full a spin about 5 seconds quicker than an HHR terminal, that are parimutuel-based video games that calculate odds on beforehand run horse races. New Hampshire overhauled the charitable gaming regulation by the state’s two-year funds final yr.
In trade for the VLT privileges, the casinos agreed to ship the state a bigger lower, with the gross gaming tax elevated from 25% to 31%. The casinos now retain 31.25% of the gross gaming income, down from 40%. Charities maintained their 35% allocation by the regulatory overhaul.
The New Hampshire Gaming Fee receives 2.5% for regulatory prices, and the remaining 0.25% is directed to the Governor’s Fee on Habit, Therapy, and Prevention.
New Hampshire’s lone on-line sportsbook, DraftKings, shares 51% of its gross income with the state. A lot of the tax profit is used for training grants to public faculty districts.
