City in New Hampshire Advances with Casino and Sportsbook Plans
Rochester, New Hampshire's City Council is moving forward with plans to bring a sportsbook to the city. Along with this, a potential charity casino has been proposed for the local mall.
On Tuesday, the City Council unanimously agreed to put the sportsbook decision on a November 7 referendum, giving residents the chance to vote on the matter. A public hearing on the issue will take place on October 17.
Despite the outcome of the referendum, a charitable casino is still planned for Rochester's Lilac Mall. The mall's new owner, GSG Rochester Propco LLC of Manchester, has stated that the casino will proceed regardless of whether the sportsbook is approved or not. The company acquired the mall for $5 million on May 4.
Tranchemontagne told New Hampshire's Foster's Daily Democrat that although the mall could potentially house a sportsbook if the vote passes, the two issues are not connected.
Casino Details
The proposed casino would occupy around 22,000 square feet of the 200,000-square-foot mall, with some of this space taken from a former movie theater and the part of a former Kmart. Many of the current tenants in the mall, such as a gymnastics studio, dance studio, and two eateries, plan to stay.
In order for the casino to go ahead, it needs to gain approval from Rochester's Planning Board. The developers are optimistic about the vote on September 11. Greg Carlin, principal of New England Gaming and Consulting LLC, expects the charitable gaming center to raise millions of dollars annually for New Hampshire nonprofit organizations, including $3 million in Rochester.
Prior Attempt
This isn't the first time Rochester officials have put a casino/sportbook proposal to a townwide referendum. Back in 2019, voters narrowly rejected a similar proposal with a vote of 1,488 to 1,439.
Following this, a new ordinance was passed in June, restricting the location of such gaming operations and other details. The ordinance allows sportsbooks and casinos in commercial zones near routes 11 and 125 or the Granite Ridge zone. If the casino were located in The Ridge shopping plaza, a special permit would be required.
A gaming floor needs to be at least 20,000 square feet, and there are parking requirements, including spaces for buses and at least 0.75 parking spaces per gaming position. Additionally, the ordinance states that at least 2% of the parking spaces must have electric vehicle charging stations, with a minimum of four needed. There are further requirements for outdoor entertainment noise, architecture, and landscaping.
Carlin, who is also the CEO of Granite State Gaming and Hospitality, stated that New England Gaming now has one of the 11 available licenses for charitable casinos in New Hampshire. Rochester Mayor Paul Callaghan shared this information.
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Source: www.casino.org
