Will Third Time Be A Charm For KENO 603 In Portsmouth?

PORTSMOUTH, NH — When voters in the Port City go to the polls on Tuesday, they will consider another ballot question to allow Portsmouth restaurants and bars to offer Keno.

In the past, city voters have rejected the proposal, in both 2017 and 2019. But other communities, according to the New Hampshire Lottery, have approved of the game. During the past four years, 89 communities have voted to approve ballot questions for the game during city elections and town meetings. The game is now offered at more than 200 establishments.

Charlie McIntyre, the executive director of the New Hampshire Lottery, said officials were “working directly with city leaders” in Portsmouth to answer questions about the program. He said officials would continue to be a resource to community leaders across the state, too.

KENO 603, which began in December 2017, continues to be a popular game, according to officials. The game has generated more than $16.6 million in sales thus far this fiscal year — which marks a 30 percent year-over-year increase, and averages more than $1 million in weekly sales.

Players pick numbers one to 12 on a card and a computer randomly generates and displays 20 winning numbers. Players can wager $1 to $25 per game. The game runs from 11:05 a.m. to 1 a.m.

Originally, the game was approved to fund full-day kindergarten. But in 2019, the Legislature separated the funding from full-day K and now, it goes into the general education account.

All communities get access to the funds whether they have KENO 603 or not. The lottery has contributed more than $2.3 billion to education in the state.

For more information, visit the state’s KENO 603 website.

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