Casino gambling continued to be under the spotlight at the State House this week. One subcommittee reviewed the likelihood of the state issuing a license within two years and obtaining the $80 million license fee to support the state's operating budget. While there was no definitive answer, the subcommittee heard from the Attorney General's office that they may need more time than the legislation currently provides to perform background checks of the principals submitting bids. The subcommittee also looked at the timing of the necessary local approvals such as planning and zoning and the timing of the State issuing the license. While an aggressive legislative schedule may be possible for a well advanced existing proposal in a community that has expressed support for a casino, it may not work for a new proposal in a community that has not really considered the idea of a casino.  Another piece the subcommittee considered is the time frame for the Lottery Commission to adopt procedures and rules for considering bidders, evaluating them, and selecting a winner.  They must also adopt regulations for the casino to operate under. 

Another subcommittee has been reviewing the impact a casino would have on the host and nearby communities. They heard concerns about "cannibalization"  from Tim Bechert, General Manager of the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, and Tom Boucher, owner of the T-Bones, CJ's and Copper Door restaurants. Through Rep. Pat Long, D-Manchester, the Verizon provided an amendment that would protect it, limiting the casino's entertainment venue to 1,500 seats. But nonprofit entertainment venues like the Capitol Center for the Arts objected that such an amendment would not go far enough to protect them. Boucher raised concerns that the only kind of casino New Hampshire market could support would be a local convenience casino that caters to the local market and local customers, which he feared would potentially devastate the New Hampshire hospitality industry. 

The three subcommittees reviewing the casino legislation plan to come together next Thursday and report to the full Joint Committee their findings. It will then be up to the Joint Committee to decide what to do next. They could recommend passing the bill as is, passing it with amendments, keeping it in committee for further work, or killing it outright. Insiders say the number of representatives in the House who have made up their minds are pretty evenly split for and against it. It will come down to those who still haven't decided how to vote on the issue.