Andy Sanborn, Concord Casino Indicted By New Hampshire Grand Jury for COVID Relief Fraud

former state senator Andy Sanborn stands on dark stage looking towards camera wearing dark blue suit with white shirt and red and white diagonal striped tie
Photo by Elise Amendola/Associated Press

The New Hampshire Department of Justice (DOJ) has indicted former state senator Andy Sanborn and his business Win Win Win, which operated as Concord Casino. Sanborn and the casino face two counts of pandemic relief fraud—theft by deception and unauthorized taking.

Attorney General John Formella announced the charges on Oct. 25, nine days after an ongoing criminal investigation led to Sanborn’s initial arrest on Oct. 16.

The indictment notice alleges that Sanborn’s company, which operates Concord Casino and The Draft Sports & Grill in Concord, NH, misrepresented its revenues when applying for pandemic support.

Specifically, the authorities allege Win Win Win overstated its 2019 revenues in its Main Street Relief Fund application by nearly $1 million. As a result, Sanborn’s business received $188,474 more in grant funds than it should have. Also, the fund was only open to companies in operation for at least one year before May 29, 2020. Cordcord Casino opened in June 2019.

Sanborn will appear at a hearing at Merrimack Superior Court in November.

Sanborn Facing Multiple Fraud Allegations

In addition to the latest indictment, Sanborn is under state order to sell the Concord Casino over a separate fraud accusation.

Allegedly, Sanborn applied for federal COVID relief, of which it was not entitled.

In that instance, he is accused of misspending $844,000 on luxuries like sportscars, including two Porsches for himself, and a Ferrari for his wife. The accusations also allege he used his LLCs to repay himself for nearly two decades of rent.

Notably, Sanborn’s wife is state Rep. Laurie Sanborn (R-Bedford), who only recently revealed she will not seek reelection.

The new charges against Win Win Win, which holds the casino’s gaming license, could end his bid to sell the business.

Sanborn has sought multiple license extensions for the past year, arguing he cannot sell the business without an active license. He’s also accused AG Formella of slowing down the sale. Simultaneously, Sanborn is suing the DOJ for its handling of the criminal investigation behind the fraud allegations.

Although under seal, one suit-related document made public indicated a dispute around potentially privileged evidence seized by investigators.

However, during a hearing on Oct. 30, the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office asked the court to dismiss Sanborn’s attempt to thwart the ongoing investigation. The AG also requested the judge not disqualify the current team investigating the case.

State attorney Alexander Kellerman acknowledged that investigators accessed three privileged documents — two financial records and a memo due to technical and human errors.

It’s clear that this was an inadvertent breakdown. There’s absolutely no evidence, none whatsoever, that the case team was seeking out privileged materials or that they were attempting to infringe on any sort of attorney-client relationship.

Allegations May Benefit Online Casinos

As previously reported, Rep. Sanborn’s decision not to reoffer could give New Hampshire online casino legislation a better chance of passing next year.

On Oct. 21, Sen. Timothy P. Lang Sr.—R-Sanbornton—told Bonus he’s working on 2025 online casino legislation. Rep. Sanborn helped kill Lang’s previous bill as head of the committee in charge.

New Hampshire classifies land-based casinos as charitable gaming because proceeds help fund state charities. Many who opposed Lang’s bill claimed online casinos would cannibalize revenue from casinos and charities.

I am talking to various people — including the gaming operators, as well as the charities — to see if there is a path forward. I would like to introduce the bill, but I need to do it in a way that will expand Liberty without hurting the economics of the industry.

I want to make the activity (gaming online) legal, but not hurt the charities nor industry. [I’m] still trying to see how that might work.

About the Author

Robyn McNeil

Robyn McNeil

Robyn McNeil (she/they) is a Nova Scotia-based writer and editor, and the lead writer at Bonus. Here she focuses on news relevant to online casinos, specializing in responsible gambling coverage, legislative developments, gambling regulations, and industry-related legal fights.
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