HB 608-FN-A - AS INTRODUCED
2015 SESSION
15-0611
08/05
HOUSE BILL 608-FN-A
AN ACT relative to liquor licenses at games of chance facilities.
SPONSORS: Rep. D. Sullivan, Hills 42; Sen. Carson, Dist 14
COMMITTEE: Commerce and Consumer Affairs
This bill allows games of chance facilities to apply for a liquor license.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
15-0611
08/05
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Fifteen
AN ACT relative to liquor licenses at games of chance facilities.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Liquor Licenses; Games of Chance Facilities. Amend RSA 178:22, V(n)(1) to read as follows:
(1) The commission may issue to any operator of a game operator employer licensed under RSA 287-D for a race track or designee a cocktail lounge license which shall allow the licensee to serve liquor and beverages to patrons in such rooms or areas as are located within the confines of the facility operated by the game operator employer track and are approved by the commission and only during the hours set by the commission. Liquor and beverages sold by a licensee under this subparagraph need not be consumed with meals, provided that suitable food services, approved by the commission, are available for patrons. A licensee under this subparagraph may sell beverages and liquor on dates other than those on which games of chance or races take place.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2016.
LBAO
15-0611
01/23/15
HB 608-FN-A - FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT relative to liquor licenses at games of chance facilities.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Liquor Commission states this bill, as introduced, may increase state revenues by an indeterminable amount in FY 2016 and each year thereafter. There will be no fiscal impact on state, county, and local expenditures, or county and local revenues.
METHODOLOGY:
The Liquor Commission states this bill expands the application of the cocktail license to race tracks at which games of chance are held. The Commission states of the ten licensed gaming facilities in New Hampshire, eight of them already hold some form of liquor license. The Commission states the new category of cocktail license costs $1,200 annually, but does not know how many facilities would choose the new license type and cannot estimate the amount by which revenues may increase. The Commission states the text of the bill appears to limit the cocktail license to “any operator of a game operator employer licensed under RSA 287-D for a race track.” Only two licensed game operators hold games at race tracks. The Commission is not able to determine an exact fiscal impact of this bill on state revenue.
The Racing and Charitable Gaming Commission states this bill will not have a fiscal impact because alcoholic beverages are already available at all ten of the currently licensed games of chance facilities where game operator employers have been hired to oversee games of chance. The Commissions reports the games of chance facilities are not operated by the game operator employer, and the Commission does not issue licenses to “operators of a game operator employer,” contrary to the language included in this bill. Finally, the Commission states the text of the bill limits liquor licenses to games of chance operators that hold games at race tracks. Only two of the ten licensed game operator employers hold games at race tracks and both of these race tracks are licensed by the Commission as games of chance facilities.