Senate committee revises games-of-chance rules: Keno made subject to local opt-out; Lottery seeks true three-year licenses

CONCORD, N.H. — The Senate Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday moved forward with changes to state rules governing games of chance and lottery licensing, adopting amendments intended to give municipalities clearer authority to restrict brick-and-mortar gaming operations and to simplify lottery vendor licensure.

A non'germane amendment requested by the New Hampshire Lottery would make certain lottery vendor licenses true three'year licenses rather than a hybrid three'year permission with an annual attestation and annual fee. Valerie King of the New Hampshire Lottery told the committee that licensees have been confused by the current hybrid process that requires annual payment and attestation even though the law created a three'year background exemption. "We've had a lot of confusion with licensees not understanding that they still have to pay annually and submit this paperwork," King said. Lottery staff asked lawmakers to make the license a straightforward three'year license to reduce administrative burden.

On municipal control of on'site gaming, senators adopted a set of amendments to House Bill 737 that change the default for keno: under the adopted language, keno would be legal statewide unless a city or town elects to prohibit games-of-chance operations with a physical facility in their jurisdiction. The bill as amended includes a delay to allow municipalities time to place the question on a local ballot; committee language set an 18'month window so towns and cities can act before keno becomes lawful in a jurisdiction (the bill schedules the statewide change to take effect Jan. 1, 2027, giving communities time to opt out if they choose).

Senator Roosevelt offered technical fixes clarifying how municipalities and cities can place the opt'out question on the ballot; senators also replaced the phrase "brick and mortar" with "operations with a physical facility" to make the statute clearer about which kinds of in'person operations are subject to local votes.

Committee members and staff emphasized the local'option nature of the change: the bill does not force municipalities to prohibit games of chance, but it gives them an accessible mechanism to do so. The committee adopted the amendments and voted the measure "ought to pass as amended," then placed the bill on the consent calendar for floor consideration.

Next steps: With committee amendments adopted, the bill will proceed to the full Senate calendar. Municipal clerks and local election officials will be the principal implementers if jurisdictions choose to place opt'out questions on local ballots during the 18'month window.