
Key points:
- Susan Ford, Executive Director of My Friend’s Place, said that the proposed legislation would “cripple” the homeless shelter located in Dover
- Under Ames’ bill, all profit over $50,000 for each charity would go to the Education Trust Fund to support state aid to public schools
Charities in New Hampshire have begun to protest legislation that was brought forth by Rep. Richard Ames, which would set a cap of $50k in revenue from all charity gambling establishments.
Under Ames’ bill, all profits over $50,000 for each charity would go to the Education Trust Fund to support state aid to public schools. Ames stated that he believes it is unfair that 800 charities were selected to benefit from as many as 10 gambling dates annually, while almost 9,000 nonprofits also located in New Hampshire are unable to generate gambling revenue.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reported that 9,688 active charities in New Hampshire are currently tax-exempt.
"Those charities not on the list across the state do not benefit from this revenue stream at all," Ames said during a hearing on February 4.
"Putting a limit in would buy time for figuring out a long-term solution that would work."
Good to know: The New Hampshire Lottery reported on January 22 that the state’s sports betting handle reached $80.8m throughout December 2024, an increase of nearly $2m year-over-year
Among the 815 charities that benefit from games of chance, 176 received more than $50k during 2024. If passed, Ames' bill over the next state budget year would move $18.6m to school aid, more than 50% of what charities received throughout 2023.
Susan Ford, who serves as the Executive Director of My Friend’s Place, said that Ames’ bill would “cripple” her homeless shelter that serves 30 people each day with an annual budget of $500k.
The shelter reportedly received $135k during 2024 from gambling that included bingo and charity casino dates. Fellow nonprofits located in New Hampshire, such as those that train service dogs or run brain-injury treatment centers, have also spoken up against the bill in recent days.