Right now, New Hampshire lawmakers are deliberating on a new proposal that would allow a greater number of state nonprofits to benefit from the state's exclusive charitable gaming system. The proposed bill, SB 542, has passed the New Hampshire Senate and is currently under the review of the New Hampshire House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee. It has received wide bipartisan approval and stands a good chance of passing.
In case it becomes law, SB 542 would lessen the number of days an individual charity can collaborate with a casino and at the same time enable a great number of other organizations to join in. According to New Hampshire’s gambling model, the 14 charitable gaming venues in the state are required to give a share of their earnings to nonprofit organizations. Charities become official beneficiaries on specific gaming dates and get a portion of the revenue generated during that period.
The proponents of the bill claim that the current system mainly benefits the established organizations that repeatedly come back to the same casinos. With the present regulations, a charity can have up to 10 beneficiary dates per year, which limits the number of groups that casinos can work with. This system leaves many smaller nonprofits without partnership options. The suggested change could make access easier without greatly reducing the earnings of the current participants.
The increase in gaming revenues is what supports Lang’s statement that the charities benefiting from the present system will not be materially affected by the proposed changes. For instance, in 2025, New Hampshire’s charitable gaming venues generated more than $60 million for nonprofit groups through table games and historical horse racing machines. With video lottery terminals scheduled for 2026, these sources of income will only be further strengthened since the machines will result in a larger volume of wagers, leading to more revenue.
Even with the recent raises to New Hampshire’s gambling tax, nonprofits continue to benefit from a very significant share of the proceeds. Charities get 35% of table game gross revenue and a smaller percentage of the revenue from historical horse racing. The upcoming video lottery system will thus be even more generous, sharing 35% of its after-tax revenue.
Nevertheless, the bill has become the subject of some debate regarding its fairness and geographical considerations. Those in opposition argue that casinos’ charitable giving is often skewed towards organizations that are close to their establishments, thus making it difficult for smaller nonprofits in far-flung areas of the state to get involved. Proponents, however, claim that these local ties merely serve to strengthen the relationship between the gaming venues and nearby nonprofits, thereby enhancing the sense of community.
Editor-in-chief and creator Cole Smith of casinocurrencies.com, has extensive experience with casino payment systems, The site was created to provide an honest and trustworthy resource for online gambling players.