A new bill was passed recently in New Hampshire, which will now allow bars and restaurants that serve alcohol to also put electronic keno games in their establishments. Although the house do not have the final say in this matter – the bill will now be passed on to the Senate – this is a very good sign, which means that it has managed to cross at least one hurdle in the road to becoming a reality. Supporters of the bill, estimated that the measure would raise $9 million across the state on an annual basis if around 250 sites were allowed to start offering the games.
One amendment which was made by the house was to introduce a clause in the bill, which gives local communities the final say on whether or not they allow the game in the area. The bill does face a higher level of competition in the Senate, as the votes there have been more towards legalising a casino in New Hampshire. It is certain that allowing electronic keno would be one step closer to allowing full casinos within the state, so this can only be taken as a great sign for those who hope to be able to introduce another bill later on. Even if the Bill does fail at the summit level, there will always be the opportunity to reintroduce it, and see if it can enjoy some more success when introduced a second time. More points which are in support of the bill are the fact that the money which will be raised through the electronic keno games would go to education and also provide support for research, prevention, and treatment of problem gamblers – something that certainly has to appeal to those who are not quite sure about the deal and whether electronic keno should be allowed within the state.
They also argue that keno is very different to the video slot machines which the house has not yet legalised, such as last year when a Senate bill which would have allowed a licence casino was killed. Money wagered on keno will stay in New Hampshire, unlike the portions of the money which will be bet in a New Hampshire based casino and which would have out-of-state owners, who could then spends the money in their own state. Another argument that has been made is that small restaurants will be able to draw in more customers if they have electronic keno on the premises. There are plenty of arguments which makes this seem like a very attractive prospect indeed, and it has certainly been enough to convince the house that it is a good idea. We have already discussed the terms of the bill before, but to reiterate, the game would be offered from 11 AM to 11 PM on a daily basis and would be restricted only to those who are above the age of eighteen, and would be played through computer screens set up around the bar or restaurant displaying the winning numbers.