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New Hampshire Lottery official briefs Bedford council on keno and games-of-chance ahead of March ballot
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Summary
A New Hampshire Lottery official told the Bedford Town Council that keno is a social, in-state game offered mainly in bars and taverns and currently active in 94 municipalities; the council held a required public hearing before a March 10 ballot question on banning the game and related games of chance.
Kelly J. Rosberg, chief product and program officer with the New Hampshire Lottery, told the Bedford Town Council on Feb. 11 that keno is "kind of like electronic bingo" and is offered primarily in bars and taverns, with draw shows every five minutes and sales available 24/7. The council held a required public hearing ahead of March 10 ballot questions that would allow voters to prohibit keno and other games of chance in town.
The presentation set out how keno operates: patrons choose numbers on a play slip or touchscreen machine, and draw shows run frequently; bars and taverns typically see higher sales and weekly commissions (Rosberg estimated about $350–$500 for an average tavern) while convenience and grocery stores earn smaller commissions. Rosberg said the games are available in 94 New Hampshire municipalities and emphasized that lottery proceeds go to the state Education Trust Fund, not directly to municipalities.
Councilors asked about potential local economic effects, including whether longer customer stays would translate into higher meals and rooms-tax receipts. "It should," Rosberg said, adding that the Lottery does not allocate Education Trust Fund distributions to municipalities and that the Department of Education determines fund disbursement. Council members also pressed for data on gambling addiction and any policing impacts; Rosberg said the Lottery had not conducted local addiction surveys for keno and that broader commissions or governor-appointed entities are studying such issues.
Rosberg described licensing and oversight: locations must apply for a license, background and financial checks are required, site inspections are performed, and the Lottery coordinates with the attorney general on suitability. She noted that facilities eligible as "charitable gaming" provide a nightly charity share (35% of the house take) and that host municipalities would be eligible for up to seven beneficiary nights per year at local locations.
The council opened the public hearing on the ballot questions and, after asking whether members of the public wished to speak, closed the hearing with no members of the public taking the floor. The hearing record will accompany the town's March 10 ballot materials.
