New Hampshire House And Senate Not Budging On Gambling Issue

New Hampshire legislators are showing this session just how far gambling has come in the US. With deadlines looming, the Senate and the House have been unable to finalize a budget thanks to the divide on the gambling issue.

The Senate will not agree to anything short of allowing video slots in the state. The House to this point has balked at the idea, and the two sides remain deadlocked. Governor John Lynch is expected to seek a special session on Wednesday to deal with the budget issue.

The timing of the special session is significant. If there is no special session, then lawmakers would be dealing with a deadline to approve a budget by a majority vote. If the special session is called, it would allow the House and the Senate the chance to begin again, with new legislative bills being allowed.

The pressure is on New Hampshire lawmakers to expand gambling because of their neighboring states in the Northeast. Pennsylvania, Maine, Delaware, New York, Maryland, and even Massachusetts all have lawmakers who have already, or are in the process of, expanding their gaming industries.

"In other years, the issues that have divided lawmakers have been worked out, but with the gambling issue, there is strong opinions on either side in New Hampshire," said Gaming Analyst Steve Schwartz. "Still, I believe the two sides will eventually come to a compromise."

The House has agreed to a new regulatory oversight system, but they did not concede that gaming licenses could be issued. The state is looking at an almost $300 million deficit by 2011, and the Senate believes that the millions of dollars in tax revenue from the video gaming machines could help slim that deficit.

May 30, 2010
Posted By April Gardner
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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