CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - New Hampshire’s House voted Wednesday to allow electronic keno games in bars and restaurants that serve alcohol.
The House voted 202-141 to send the bill to the Senate. Supporters estimate the measure would raise $9 million annually if electronic keno is offered at 250 sites. The House amended the bill to give local communities the final say on allowing the game.
The bill faces a higher hurdle in the Senate, which has put its efforts into legalizing a casino in New Hampshire.
Opponents argued the damage to communities of adding an electronic game to the lottery portfolio outweighs the benefit of more revenue for New Hampshire and hurts its image as a family-friendly state.
“In legalizing keno, New Hampshire would be moving one step closer to casino gambling,” said Rep. Mary Cooney, D-Plymouth.
She said electronic forms of gambling are addictive and would hurt the poor the most.
“New Hampshire should not take from those who can least afford to lose it,” she said.
Supporters said the money raised would go for education and provide support for research, prevention and treatment for problem gamblers. They also argued that keno is a different product than the video slot machines the House has consistently refused to legalize, most recently when it killed a Senate bill last year that would have allowed a licensed casino.
Rep. Patrick Abrami, a casino opponent, said money wagered on keno would stay in New Hampshire, unlike portions of the money bet in a New Hampshire-based casino that would likely have out-of-state owners spending the money in their home state, such as Nevada. He said keno also would help small restaurants draw in customers.
Fifteen states offer keno, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island.
Under the proposal, players would select numbers for each keno game from a field of 80 numbers, mark a paper slip and hand it to the bartender with their money. A computer would randomly select 20 winning numbers about every six minutes and flash them on a screen in the bar or restaurant. Players could bet from $1 to $30. Players picking fewer numbers would earn a higher payout if their choices are the winning numbers.
Unlike a video slots game, players would not be sitting in front of a computer terminal.
The game would be offered from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. No one under age 18 could play.
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