At New Hampshire casinos, bets on poker, blackjack and other games of chance are currently capped at $50 — but that could change.

Lawmakers are considering removing wager restrictions altogether. Slot machines would also see their debut in the state’s gaming halls.

This week, the House Finance Committee signed off on a part of Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s budget that would swap out historic horse racing machines for slot machines or video lottery terminals. Slot machines are faster, about five seconds quicker per play, and cheaper to operate.

State Rep. Joe Sweeney said the plan is to gradually phase out the 3,300 historic horse racing machines in New Hampshire. By the second budget cycle, he expects the state to have around 4,000 slot machines and 500 horse racing machines, bringing in an estimated $128 million in revenue for the state and about $70 million for charities and nonprofits.

These projections assume there won’t be any wager limits on the state’s betting machines.

“The video lottery terminals will produce a significantly larger amount of revenue for the state and for the charities that participate than the historic horse racing machines,” said Sweeney, a Salem Republican.

In 2024, historic horse racing machines brought in around $28 million in state revenue.

While the New Hampshire Council for Problem Gaming stays neutral on the issue of gambling, Ed Talbot, the council’s executive director, warns that the new slot machines New Hampshire is leaning toward are especially addictive.

Talbot knows firsthand how a gambling addiction can take over a person’s life.

He has been in recovery for 47 years.

He recalled how his knees trembled at the racetrack as he waited for the starting box to open, sending his chosen greyhound sprinting forward.

“It’s the rush that the next bet is going to solve any and everything,” said Talbot. “People think it’s all about the money, and it really isn’t about the money. It’s that rush.”

Talbot, who said he’s heard countless stories from individuals who lost everything in Gamblers Anonymous meetings, believes the committee’s decision shows the state is trending in a dangerous direction.

“We haven’t seen much from historic horse racing machines, but we definitely see it from slots,” said Talbot. “The potential is more problematic. There could be an increase in people who become addicted because of slot machines.”

Problem gambling

As New Hampshire relaxes its gaming regulations, there’s also a push to create a voluntary statewide exclusion policy.

Currently, a person who wants to avoid gambling can request to be placed on a casino’s exclusion list, but it only applies to that casino.

Senate Bill 83, which passed the Senate, aims to fix that by automatically barring anyone excluded from one casino from all casinos in the state, providing a stronger safeguard for those trying to avoid gambling.

At the same time, House Bill 83, which would have raised the minimum age for sports betting from 18 to 21, didn’t make it out of committee.

Talbot criticized the decision, saying, “You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that an 18-year-old’s brain isn’t fully formed to make these kinds of decisions about gambling.”

Meanwhile, calls to the New Hampshire Council on Problem Gambling have been steadily rising.

In 2021, the council received 205 calls. By 2023, that number increased to 306. And in 2024, it jumped to 439.

Some casinos in New Hampshire’s charitable gaming landscape are no longer small gaming halls. Instead, they spread across tens of thousands of square feet, like the Nash Casino or the Lilac Club Casino in Nashua.

Last year, a report from gaming consultant Spectrum Gaming projected that New Hampshire’s charitable gaming model is on track to become a billion-dollar industry.

The state received $35.2 million last year from games of chance and historic horse racing at the state’s ten operating casinos — a 48.5% increase over the $23.7 million collected in 2023, according to figures from the New Hampshire Lottery Commission.

With the four additional gaming establishments that have opened this year, revenue is expected to rise even further, benefiting charities, casino operators and the state.

Talbot said he does not see an issue with the state expanding charitable gaming as long as there is enough investment in addressing problem gambling.

“If they want to expand, that’s their business decision,” said Talbot. “But I think there should be a parallel expansion for problem gambling services. There should be more counselors trained.”

Currently, the state sets aside $300,000 a year for problem gambling, according to Sweeney.

Sruthi Gopalakrishnan can be reached at sgopalakrishnan@cmonitor.com.