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Certain factions in
New Hampshire are determined to bring slot machines to the state. “Fix
it now New Hampshire” has to be the best organized effort to attain slot
machines in the state today. , “We have joined forces with Millennium
gaming, of Las Vegas, Nevada, and have formed a coalition for the sole
purpose of bringing limited gaming to Rockingham Park.” said Chuck
Rolecek, the “Fix it now New Hampshire” chairman.
If New Hampshire
manages to legalize slot machines, Millennium has pledged to invest $450
million in Rockingham Park. New Hampshire stands to generate a lot of
revenue from the slot machines but that really depends on several
factors: state tax rates, regional competition, and the number of slot
machines allowed in the state.
“Given reasonable
assumptions we estimate the introduction of limited gaming to Rockingham
Park would generate up to $200 million in annual revenue to the state of
New Hampshire,” said Ed Callahan, President and General Manager of
Rockingham Park.
Slot machines could be
very beneficial in New Hampshire as the state faces budget shortfall
well above a quarter billion dollars.
“It's more acceptable
than an increase in property taxes, it's more acceptable than an
increase in business taxes, and it is certainly more acceptable than
enacting a sales or broad-based income tax,” said Rolecek.
There are several
opponents to slot machines that doubt the ability of slot machines to
solve the financial problems facing the state.
“They're gonna give us limited gambling but they're
gonna raise two hundred million dollars and give it to the state, which
means their profits have to be somewhere in the half a billion dollar
range,” said Hooksett Republican Representative David Hess.
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