Establishing an elderly, disabled, blind, and deaf property tax exemption reimbursement fund, authorizing video lottery terminals, renaming the lottery commission, and creating a voluntary statewide self-exclusion database.
SB 83 would make several major changes to New Hampshire’s gaming and property-tax statutes. It renames the State Lottery Commission as the New Hampshire Lottery and Gaming Commission, authorizes video lottery terminals (VLTs) at facilities already licensed for charitable gaming, and creates a new regulatory chapter governing licensing, testing, operation, enforcement, revenue sharing, and voucher expiration for those terminals. The bill also establishes a centralized voluntary statewide self-exclusion database for all forms of legal gaming, intended to help address problem gambling.
The bill further creates an elderly, disabled, blind, and deaf exemption reimbursement fund to reimburse municipalities for property-tax revenue lost to exemptions under existing RSA provisions. Funding for that reimbursement fund would come from VLT-related revenue, along with unclaimed voucher amounts. The bill sets out annual reporting and reimbursement procedures through the Department of Revenue Administration and Treasury, and it directs a portion of VLT revenue to the state retirement system for Group II benefits, while also allocating shares to charitable organizations and other state funds.
SB 83 would amend multiple chapters of New Hampshire law, including lottery and gaming statutes and municipal property-tax reimbursement provisions. It would add a new regulatory framework for VLTs, expand the commission’s enforcement and rulemaking authority, create a new statewide self-exclusion program, and establish a dedicated reimbursement fund for municipalities affected by elderly, disabled, blind, and deaf property-tax exemptions. The bill would also redirect gaming revenues into several specified uses, including charitable gaming, the new reimbursement fund, and retirement benefits for Group II members, while requiring new reporting and administrative procedures by state agencies and licensed operators.
The bill appears to have generated mixed but active interest, with its broad gaming expansion and revenue-raising structure likely driving the debate. The fiscal note suggests supporters view the measure as a way to increase state revenue, support municipalities, and strengthen problem-gambling protections, while also preserving charitable gaming participation. However, the repeated 8-16 floor amendment defeats indicate substantial opposition in the Senate to at least some aspects of the proposal, especially the VLT authorization and related revenue distribution changes.
The main points of contention are the authorization of video lottery terminals, the expansion of gambling beyond existing charitable and historic horse-race gaming, and how the resulting revenue should be allocated. Opponents likely object to the gambling expansion itself, while supporters emphasize municipal reimbursement, charitable distributions, and self-exclusion safeguards. There may also be disagreement over the bill’s fiscal assumptions, including projected revenue, the effect on existing gaming operations, and whether the proposed revenue streams would be sufficient and stable enough to support the new reimbursement fund and retirement contributions.