Groups raise concerns about gaming study panel

Jarret Bencks reports in the Eagle-Tribune that both pro and anti-gambling groups are upset at the working of the Governor's gambling study commission.

Joe Casey, president of the State Building Construction Trades Council, attended the commission's meeting on Oct. 6, which was supposed to focus on the status of gaming in nearby states. The commission heard from three sources — a former Foxwoods Resorts executive, an official from the New Hampshire Center for Public Policy, and a presentation from the Rockefeller Institute, which recently completed a study on declining gambling revenue in the United States.

Casey said he found the discussion at the meeting to be off track.

"When I went to the meeting and the charge was to collect data from other states, that's what I expected to see," he said. "But it isn't what I saw. I thought we were going to see real data on revenues, real data on problem gaming."...

Jim Rubens, director of the Granite State Coalition Against Expanded Gambling, has regularly attended the commission's meetings, and by his count, the panel has heard presentations from three people who support expanded gambling, one who is neutral, and just one who is against gambling. He said he plans to continue to attend the meetings, expecting the opinions of the speakers to balance out.

"I am hoping the commission by the end of its hearings gets a more balanced set of proposals," he said. "I think they are serious about doing what the governor asked them to do."

Eagle-Tribune- "NH House may be shifting on slots"

Jarret Bencks in the Eagle-Tribune looks at ongoing budget negotiations at the State House, and interviews southern tier lawmakers about the chances of the House adopting gambling in the state budget:

The original budget plan from the House shored up a portion of the state's $650 million deficit with new taxes — including a capital gains tax — and spending cuts. But the Senate amended that plan, replacing those measures with six licenses for up to 15,000 slots around the state.

Proponents of legalizing slot machines will have to persuade members of the House that slots are a better resolution to fixing the budget than new taxes.

The committee met yesterday to review how each body came to its budget decision and get a feel for where each legislator stands on some of their major differences. The committee is expected to meet again this afternoon.

Based on licensing fees, legalizing slots would bring in an estimated $205 million for the state in the next biennium.

The key will be whether the House members of the Conference Committee would be willing to accept the slots plan. If that group doesn't agree to the Senate proposal, the full House won't be voting on it at the end of the month.