During the first two weeks in February, gambling expanders are trying to wear us down with an onslaught of five (5) gambling bills.

Please join us in opposition to these bills at 8:00 am on February 8^th and on one other day if you can make it. Spread the word through your networks.

3 Casino Bill --HB1678

Tue, Feb 7, 3:00 pm, LOB 202

Public hearing before Ways & Means Committee

• This is the first real public hearing on any casino bill for the 2011-2012 session. This is our first opportunity to present to the key revenue-raising committee our reasons for opposing this bill and any other attempt to legalize slot casinos.
• HB1678 would legalize three casinos (a large convenience casino near the Mass border, a Riverboat casino in or near Portsmouth Harbor, and a North Country slots barn).

2 Casino Monopoly Bill --HB593

Wed, Feb 8, 8:00 am, Representatives Hall, House floor vote

Join us at the doors to Reps Hall at 8:00 am to ask your Rep to vote NO.

• HB593 faces vigorous opposition from two groups of legislators: (a) those opposed to slot casinos for the many reasons our coalition has articulated over the years; and, (b) House liberty caucus members opposed to monopolies. Over the later concern, the Constitutional Review Committee voted UNANIMOUSLY to recommend that HB593 should be defeated in its present form.
• In attempt to save the bill from defeat, casino supporters will bring several amendments to the House floor. We are asking for the bill and all amendments to be defeated.
• Neither the bill (written almost verbatim by lobbyists for the Las Vegas casino company seeking the Salem location) nor any of the floor amendments have had a single public hearing. This is a serious mistake, given the potential impacts and technical complexity of casino legalization, and a precursor to the insider dealing and political corruption seen in every other casino state.

Keno Slots Bills --HB1697 and HB1698

Thurs, Feb 9, 1:00 pm, LOB 202

Public hearing before the Ways & Means Committee

• These two bills would legalize electronic keno slot machines in unlimited numbers in or near every town and city in our state.
• HB1697 would legalize paper and electronic keno gambling for charity gambling. The addition of keno slot machines will tend to cause charity gambling operations to spread to more locations throughout the state.
• HB1698 would legalize paper and electronic keno gambling throughout the state. The Lottery Commission estimates that 250 keno-slot venues would be operating throughout the state within two years.
• Keno is falsely described as an innocuous additional lottery game. In fact, electronic keno slots allow continuous realtime machine gambling with wager results once each four minutes. Gamblers can and do wipe out paychecks, family food budgets, and worse in one evening in keno bars, which would located within a few minutes' drive of almost every New Hampshire household.
• Keno bets (in HB1698) would be made at video gambling machines located at convenience stores, gas stations, bars, restaurants, and charity gambling establishments. Like slots, keno is far more addictive than any form of gambling we now have in NH.
• Massachusetts was forced to legalize Internet Keno (Keno To Go) in 2008 because addicted keno gamblers were clogging convenience store check-out lines, zoned out watching screens for the next set of winning numbers. With Internet Keno, bets are placed at stores and results are checked online or via mobile device. Up to 30 bets wagering hundreds of dollars can be played at one time.

Removing Charity Gambling Betting Limits --HB1260

Tue, Feb 14, 2:00 pm, LOB 306

Public hearing before the House ED & A Committee

• There are currently 11 licensed charity gambling facilities in Belmont, Dover, Hampton, Hampton Falls, Keene, Manchester, Milford, Rochester, Salem, Seabrook, and Tilton, with nearly $33 million wagered in FY 2010.
• The NH Gaming Study Commission found (unanimously) that: "New Hampshire needs to review its regulation of gaming, with or without an expansion of legalized gaming. To insure integrity and public confidence, this review should be completed and necessary changes implemented before any expansion is enacted."
• This bill would turn charity gambling operations into casinos minus slot machines. Such facilities would increase in number, scale, and local/regional impact.
• There is no limit on the number of such facilities permitted statewide, meaning that a casino would wind up being located in or near your community. If slot machines are allowed anywhere in the state, these casinos will demand and get them. The result would be a total wipeout of New Hampshire's clean, healthy, family-friendly brand image.