This story was originally produced by the Concord Monitor. NHPR is republishing it in partnership with the Granite State News Collaborative.
New Hampshire’s casino industry saw significant growth last year as larger facilities opened, game rooms expanded, and slot machines were introduced — pushing state revenue from charitable gaming up more than 70%.
The state collected $60.2 million from casinos in 2025. This total includes revenue from games of chance such as poker, blackjack, slot machines, and historic horse racing machines, according to data from the New Hampshire Lottery and Gaming Commission.
By comparison, the state made $35.2 million from charitable gaming in 2024.
With the growing casino industry, it isn’t just the state’s coffers that are filling.
Local charities and non-profits that partner with gaming venues also saw substantial gains. In 2025, donations to these organizations totaled $64 million, up from $39.3 million the previous year, with some donations reaching into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The biggest winners are the game room operators themselves, which took in $250 million in 2025 from horse racing and games of chance alone, with video lottery games on track to generate $75 million a year.
All told, casino betting in New Hampshire is generating half a billion dollars a year in revenue.
These figures don’t include money generated from other sources, like lottery tickets or sports betting.
A 2024 state-commissioned study projected that, with current growth trends and at least four more casinos in development, New Hampshire’s gaming industry could become a $1.1 billion market within three years.
As part of the state budget signed last year, the state also removed the $50 bet limits, allowing players to place unlimited bets.
Slots fill coffers
Slot machines made their debut in select New Hampshire casinos last year, part of a broader effort to boost revenue for both the state and local charities.
During last year’s legislative session, the Lottery and Gaming Commission estimated that slot machines could generate an average of $300 per day per unit, compared with $200 per day from historic horse racing machines. Slot machines are also cheaper to operate, making them an attractive option for casino operators to replace historic horse racing machines.
Revenue from slot machines contributed $2.37 million to the state’s general fund, even before a full rollout across more locations. An additional $791,594 from slot machine revenue was earmarked for the Education Trust Fund.
When lawmakers approved the new slot machines, 75% of the state’s share went to the general fund and 25% to the Education Trust Fund.
But this year, House Bill 1409 aims to direct all revenue from video lottery terminals to the Education Trust Fund.
As of Wednesday, the Commission reported 1,752 slot machines in the state, noting that this number is dynamic and changes daily.
