Readers split on video gambling

By Emily Quirk equirk@seacoastonline.com CONCORD - Response from a Rockingham News online readers’ poll about video gambling was a mixed bag. Nine readers responded to the question: "With a state deficit of $3 million, video gambling is back on the table to generate income after being defeated in the Legislature year after year. How would you (the reader) vote on the issue?" The question was posted on The Rockingham News Web site for two weeks last month. Five would vote in favor of video gambling while four said no. For the past several years legislators have been mulling bills on legalizing gambling and casinos. The issue has come up once again. Two bills on gambling have been introduced so far this session. House Bill 715 aims at changing regulations of bingo and Lucky 7 scratch tickets. House Bill 865 permits casino gambling in New Hampshire and "allows for the establishment of a resort and casino and grants the lottery commission the responsibility for regulating a casino." Readers chimed in on video gambling last week. "Why? Look at the money Connecticut receives each and every month," one reader wrote in support. "That would fund education and lower these ungodly property taxes if people wake up and control the budgets a little." Shawn O’Neil of Danville stated video gambling is a win-win for everybody. O’Neil suggests starting off slow with video gambling but eventually bringing in casinos to help solve the education funding crisis. O’Neil doesn’t believe a statewide income tax is the answer. "If you do it right I would go beyond video gambling," he said. "We could find a discrete area to have a casino." O’Neil suggests a casino near Pease International Tradeport situated near the airport, hotels and restaurants. Pulling visitors from New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts could prove fruitful, he added. He also suggests regulating the amount of money people can gamble or lose at one time and offering towns perks for having a casino in their back yard. Rep. Norman Weldy, R-Raymond, said if New Hampshire residents don’t want to pay more taxes, there should be money coming from another source - why not casinos? "We are sending people by the bus loads to Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods out of this state to gamble," Weldy said. "Let them gamble here and pay for some of the issues in the state such as health insurance for low-income residents and education." Those readers voting no said gambling would hurt New Hampshire’s quality of life and income tax is the better way to go. "It hurts families and children and ends up costing us money in social services to help the addicts and their children as well as combating increased crime and decrease in values," one opponent stated. Weldy said gambling in this state would have three benefits: jobs, money for state programs and tourism. Although he believes the benefits outweigh the negatives, he recognizes the potential for gambling problems. Rep. Daniel Itse, R-Fremont, is not a big fan of gambling because of secondary costs such as law enforcement and social costs. "All proposals I’ve see have been, in my mind unconstitutional," Itse said. "It’s not the best thing to do because it brings in prostitution, indigents. People gamble away their family’s income." Rep. Norman Major, R-Plaistow, is keeping an open mind on both bills. Major is uncertain whether gambling would change the character of the state. He said he’d have to weigh the pros and cons when it comes up for discussion. To participate in The Rockingham News poll regarding cell phone savvy, visit our Web site at www.seacoastonline.com.