Casino-style slots could be coming to New Hampshire casinos, but if they do, players may notice that they play more slowly than the ones they’d find in Atlantic City or Las Vegas. Whether they come at all depends on whether lawmakers agree to the recommendations from the New Hampshire Charitable Gaming Study Commission (NHCGSC).
The commission believes it would be advantageous to replace the state’s existing historical horse racing (HHR) machines with slots, but it thinks they should be limited to the same pace of play as HHR machines to avoid encouraging problematic gambling.
The commission, which includes lawmakers, state officials, casino operators, and charity representatives, was formed by the state legislature to assess how state laws impact gaming in New Hampshire.
The NHCGSC based its recommendation on a Spectrum Gaming study, which found that New Hampshire casinos capture only 16% of their potential gaming revenue, which it estimates at $1.1 billion. By adding slots, the commission anticipates a significant boost in revenue.
However, switching to slots requires legislative approval, so lawmakers must pass a bill first.
Commission Recommends Slots But With a Slower Speed
There are no full-scale casinos in New Hampshire. The current gambling establishments operate under charitable gaming laws, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting local charities. Available games include HHR machines, bingo, poker, roulette, and the blackjack variant Spanish 21.
HHR machines are visually similar to slots but operate differently. They generate results using data from past horse races and fall under parimutuel betting regulations.
HHR machines have higher operating costs, as casinos must pay between 6% and 12% to the company providing the results. With HHRs, users play against each other, not the machines, impacting the payouts. Meanwhile, slots use random number generator software, which ensures completely random results and fairness.
Another significant difference is that HHR machines have a minimum five-second delay between plays, much slower than slots. That’s something the commission wants to remain even with the switch.
As reported by the Concord Monitor, Sen. Tim Lang says the speed will help against gambling addiction:
We want to make sure that the speed of play is consistent with what’s currently being used in HHR. There was some concern amongst the responsible gaming people that it’s a little addictive if it’s allowed at its full throttle speed.
Other NHCGSC Recommendations
In addition to introducing slots, NHCGSC recommends creating a joint House and State commission to review the charity selection process and schedule of casino donation days.
By law, 35% of casino table gaming revenue goes to charities, with 800 organizations receiving over $31 million last year. However, because there are no standards on how casinos choose their partner charities, over 5,000 organizations, or about 80% of the state charities, cannot benefit.
The commission also recommends that the state legislature revisit whether local municipalities should have the right to decide whether they want a casino. This year, a bill aimed at that issue passed both houses of the legislature but stalled the conference committee.
The NHCGSC also wants the New Hampshire Lottery Commission to gather user data and report it to a yet-to-be-established commission. That will help better track problem gambling in the state. Currently, there’s a lack of data, making it challenging to assess the required resources to help those affected.
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