CONCORD, N.H. -
New Hampshire may bet on gambling to help fill budget holes.
The Senate Ways and Means Committee voted Tuesday to recommend a bill which would legalize up to 5,000 video slot machines and 150 table games. It would require a $425 million investment and an $80 million licensing fee.
Gov. Maggie Hassan, D-New Hampshire, applauded the vote, saying the revenue from a casino would help fill holes in funding for mental health and education.
"In order to meet those funding needs, I support one high-end, highly regulated casino near the Massachusetts border because what we know is that casinos are coming to Massachusetts. We should develop our own plan and lead so that we can make sure that we can keep critical revenues in our state," Hassan said.
Opponent of casinos say they hurt quality of life and contribute to problems with addiction.
