The New Hampshire Senate and House are considering identical bills that would legalize historic horse racing. Three bills, to be exact, one in the Senate and two in the House. One of the House bills is part of the budget bill.
Historic horse racing allows bettors to wager on races that have already taken place. However the names and dates of the races are wiped clean, leaving only the statistics to inform the wager. The races are chosen randomly from a video library. One option is for the machine to make the wager for you. So, in some ways, the play is a bit like a slot machine.
Winnings are determined using the traditional parimutuel process.
If passed, the machines could be offered by the 16 licensed gaming operators in the Granite State. Bets would be maxed out at $25. A portion of each wager would help fund programs for problem gamblers. Another portion would be earmarked for charity. These formulas are already used for other forms of gaming in the state.
Many charities have testified in favor of the bills because it would increase their ability to raise revenue. Opponents say that this type of game is especially addictive because they look so much like slot machines.
