“Shall we allow the operation of sports book retail locations within the Town of Hampton?”
What it means: In July, 2019, the H 480 bill regulating sports betting was signed by the governor making sports betting legal in the State of NH, with land-based retail locations capped at 10 in the state. NH Sports betting will be regulated by the NH Lottery Commission. Six different cities have approved sportsbooks throughout the state, with towns voting for approval in the upcoming ballotss.Of the towns that approve it, 10 locations will be selected for retail betting.The money collected does not flow directly to the hosting municipality, but the availability of sports betting may attract more tourists to the area.
Those in favor say: Having a retail location would attract users to Hampton, which could benefit local charities. The state on NH will receive 51% of revenues. Money currently collected by the NH Lottery Commission is dedicated to education in the state.
Those against say: Some people are concerned about unintended side effects of having more strain on our infrastructure with unclear benefit to the Town.
Fiscal Impact: There is no direct tax impact to this decision.