Former New Hampshire Senator and Concord Casino owner Andy Sanborn has asked for a public hearing with the New Hampshire Lottery Commission regarding a recent decision that found he is “unsuitable for charitable gaming,” according to a local report in the Concord Monitor. The decision was made due to Sanborn’s “fraudulent use of Covid-19 relief funds.”
Both the New Hampshire Lottery Commission and the state’s Attorney General had investigated Sanborn’s use of the pandemic relief funds between the months of January and August. They found that Sanborn “fraudulently obtained $844,00 in Covid relief funds, which casinos are ineligible to receive, to support his lavish lifestyle.”
According to the investigation, Sanborn had used the money to buy luxury cars for both his wife and for himself by making cash payment disguised as rent.
Following the inquiry, the Lottery Commission issued a notice of administrative action against Concord Casino to revoke its charitable gaming license.
However, Sanborn issued an email statement, claiming that he is “innocent of all wrongdoing.”
The New Hampshire Lottery will schedule a public hearing within the next month to decide whether the casino can keep its charitable gaming licenses, according to the local report.
Sanborn’s wife, New Hampshire state Representative Laurie Sanborn, was recently selected to chair a new commission designed to evaluate charity gaming operations statewide. She serves as the chair of the House of Ways and Means Committee.
The new commission is comprised of 13 members and will examine the state’s gaming laws to determine if charities around the state are receiving the appropriate portion of the revenue.
Because the couple currently operates the Concord Casino, some have raised concerns regarding whether her new role could be a conflict of interest.
