New Hampshire Charitable Gaming

Charitable gaming in New Hampshire includes poker, bingo, Lucky 7, raffles, games of chance and card rooms. The only form of legal electronic bingo gaming is handheld electronic bingo cards. Bingo, originally "beano," and Lucky 7 have been legal in New Hampshire since 1949 and games of chance since 1977.

In 2006, the New Hampshire Pari-Mutuel Commission oversaw charity gambling events. Before that, local police maintained control over charitable gaming within their communities. The New Hampshire Racing and Charitable Gaming Commission is now responsible for the enforcement of applicable laws and regulations of charity games.

In 2011, HB348 was signed into law by the governor. This legislation requires primary game operators conducting games of chance to use video monitoring in all areas where money is handled, including table games and the cash office. Also, language was included to make it a felony to defraud charities of any monies legally due from charitable gaming.

In 2014, the governor signed a bill into law that created more oversight for the charitable gaming industry, which was estimated to produce $75 million in bets annually. The law requires the Attorney General's office to conduct background checks on operators and limits fees operators can charge charities. Charities are entitled to at least 35% of charitable gaming profits under the law.

Charitable groups must be registered with the New Hampshire Secretary of State and the New Hampshire Charitable Trust Division of the Attorney General's office for at least two years to run charitable gaming events.

Charitable gaming is so popular that many of the sites where the games can be offered have long waiting lists.

In July 2018, lawmakers increased the maximum bet allowed at charitable casinos from $4 to $10.

Charitable gaming continues to grow in New Hampshire. The state has approved additional charitable gaming locations. The Racing and Charitable Gaming Commission continues to implement strict oversight and compliance measures.

New Hampshire's charitable gaming market has undergone a period of dramatic expansion, driven primarily by the introduction and rapid growth of Historical Horse Racing (HHR) machines at licensed charitable gaming facilities.

The Nash Casino in Nashua, which opened in November 2024, has quickly become the state's top-grossing charitable gaming venue. The Brook in Seabrook and Revo Casino Manchester continue to perform strongly.

In spring 2025, Governor Kelly Ayotte's administration proposed replacing HHR machines at charitable gaming facilities with traditional slot machines, arguing that slots — which operate approximately five seconds faster and cost less to maintain — could generate substantially more revenue. Projections cited by the governor's office estimated the change could produce $70 million more for charities and $128 million in additional total state revenue by the second budget cycle. The proposal prompted significant legislative debate, with the charitable gaming industry and tribal gaming interests weighing in on potential impacts.