Selectmen of the town of Conway, New Hampshire held a public hearing at their meeting last week to consider articles that will ask voters to allow keno and sports betting in the town.
State Rep. Timothy Lang, who drafted New Hampshire’s sports betting law, testified at the hearing that sports betting would create jobs and raise money for education.
“Last year, it resulted in $18 million going education all by itself,” said Lang, according to the Conway Daily Times, referring to sportsbooks currently operational in Dover, Manchester and Seabrook.
The law allows for 10 retail sports betting locations. “So, I know one of the questions was how many places would be allowed into our community?” Lang said. “The answer is probably one license for the town of Conway.”
The sports betting article was created in consideration of Bedford businessman Dick Anagnost’s proposal to open a casino and sports book with a Greek restaurant in Conway.
Lang noted that Conway is a tourist destination that will benefit from a sportsbook. “So when you’re talking to your state representative, saying, ‘How do we get property tax relief, how do we get more education dollars?’ the answer is you need towns to adopt things like this to allow something that would create an increase revenue without having to do a direct tax on every single citizen,” he said.
“I call this a volunteer tax—you don’t pay it unless you go and decide to visit.”
Selectmen voted 3-2 not to support Article 29, which asks voters to allow keno. They voted 4-1 to recommend the sports betting vote. Voters will decide on this and three dozen other articles on April 12.
