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Keno Wins Big on Town Meeting Day

Courtesy of the N.H. Lottery Commission

The electronic gambling game Keno was approved by roughly three-quarters of the towns that voted on it last week.

The state Lottery Commission says 55 out of 71 towns approved Keno on Town Meeting day.

State lawmakers legalized the game last year as a way to raise money for full-day kindergarten, but left it up to individual communities to decide whether to allow it.

Charlie McIntyre, executive director of the state Lottery, says he’s pleased by the number of towns that approved Keno.

“But it was even more significant in terms of the population bases," said McIntyre, "Salem approved it, Derry approved it -- places where there are significant population bases.”

He also says he expects some towns that didn't approve it will later change their minds, similar to how to towns adopted the state lottery decades ago.

“Over time they realized, you know what, it’s ok," said McIntyre, "we’re not all going to Satan’s place – we’ll be fine, and so lots have approved thereafter. So I imagine that’ll happen again, too.”

McIntyre says by June he should have an estimate of just how much money Keno will be bringing in for full-day kindergarten programs across the state.

Click the dots on the map below to see where KENO stands in your town or city:

Jason Moon is a senior reporter and producer on the Document team. He has created longform narrative podcast series on topics ranging from unsolved murders, to presidential elections, to secret lists of police officers.
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