Alderman Candidates Support Nashua Sports Betting Locations

NASHUA, NH — Nashua has a chance to be front and center of the state's retail sports betting operation if residents approve a ballot resolution that allows for them within city's limits. The city is among the nine in the state that will hold ballot initiatives during this year's municipal elections on Tuesday, in accordance with the state law legalizing sport gambling in New Hampshire.

Candidates for alderman reached for comment support the proposal to bring up to two of the 10 retail locations allowable under the law signed in July to Nashua due to its proximity to Massachusetts, which has not approved sports gambling, and because the money raised goes toward education and local charities through the state's charitable gaming law.

"I am definitely in favor of sports betting," Nashua at-large candidate Ben Clemons said. "I believe that this will not only boost education funding for Nashua and the state, but also will help our two casinos here in Nashua. These facilities employ hundreds of people locally, and having legal sports betting will give them an added feature that will help their bottom line. This is truly a win-win."

In addition to the 10 retail locations, the law allows for up to five online sports gambling vendors. The New Hampshire State Lottery put out a request for proposal from sites interested in hosting a retail sports betting facility, with Nashua's Boston Billiards and River Casino among the 13 applications.

"I would like to see them both get it," Nashua at-large candidate Michael O'Brien said. "If someone goes in there to place a sports bet then they might be more likely to stop by the tables and play a game of chance, if they have a little bit of liquid income. The charitable gaming has been quite phenomenal for our city. I don't know what our city would be like without the yeoman's work in the community that these charities do. The city is not really in position to take care of all of them, so having them benefit from the gaming is really a win."

The NH bill would not allow betting on high school sports and most college sports involving teams from New Hampshire. As is the case with Keno in the state, each city or town would have to authorize sports betting before a venue there could be considered.

Voters in Berlin, Claremont, Concord, Dover, Laconia, Manchester, Nashua, Rochester and Somersworth will decide on Tuesday whether to allow a retail location in their respective cities. Towns will have the opportunity to debate their willingness to host retail locations at this spring's town meetings.

"I believe it's going to be approved in nearly every U.S. state eventually," Nashua Ward 6 alderman candidate Joseph MacIntyre said. "New Hampshire getting ahead of the eventual pack is good — even if being early, it only lasts for a while. It should generate incremental revenues for local businesses and the state of New Hampshire. And we all know, we need more money for the local and state budgets to help support education.

"I agree with most people that initially Nashua would benefit because of our proximity to Massachusetts," MacIntyre added. "It's expected that a lot of the revenues will come from outside of New Hampshire.”

The sports betting legislation creates a Division of Sports Wagering within the NH Lottery to oversee sports betting. Players must be 18 or older to make wagers.

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