New Hampshire HB 660: requiring historic horse racing facilities to compensate their host communities with a percentage of the revenue generated from their historic horse racing machines.

Bill Text

HB 660-FN-LOCAL - AS INTRODUCED

2025 SESSION

 25-0387

 02/11

HOUSE BILL 660-FN-LOCAL

AN ACT requiring historic horse racing facilities to compensate their host communities with a percentage of the revenue generated from their historic horse racing machines. 

SPONSORS: Rep. Ohm, Hills. 10; Rep. Manohar, Hills. 9; Rep. Almy, Graf. 17

COMMITTEE: Ways and Means

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ANALYSIS

 This bill requires historic horse racing facilities to transfer 10 percent of revenue generated, after breakage and payment of winnings, to host municipalities.

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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 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

 25-0387

 02/11

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five

AN ACT requiring historic horse racing facilities to compensate their host communities with a percentage of the revenue generated from their historic horse racing machines. 

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 1 New Subparagraph; Pari-Mutel Pools, and Distribution of Tax Thereon; Tax. Amend RSA 284:23, I by inserting after subparagraph (d) the following new subparagraph:

 (e) Each person, association, or corporation licensed to conduct historic horse race wagering shall collect a sum equal to 10 percent of revenues generated from historic horse race pari-mutuel pools after breakage and payment of winnings to patrons. Each licensee that conducts wagering on historic horse races shall distribute such amount collected under this paragraph to the municipality in which the licensee operates for deposit into the municipality's general fund.

 2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.

 LBA

 25-0387

 1/10/25

HB 660-FN-LOCAL- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

AN ACT requiring historic horse racing facilities to compensate their host communities with a percentage of the revenue generated from their historic horse racing machines. 

FISCAL IMPACT: 

 Estimated State Impact

FY 2025

FY 2026

FY 2027

FY 2028

 Revenue

$0

Decrease of $2,329,958 Per Year

 Revenue Fund(s)

Lottery Fund/Education Trust Fund - Lottery revenue is credited to the lottery fund, with net revenues after expenditures being credited to the state education trust fund.

 Expenditures*

$0

$0

$0

$0

 Funding Source(s)

None

 Appropriations*

$0

$0

$0

$0

 Funding Source(s)

None

 *Expenditure = Cost of bill *Appropriation = Authorized funding to cover cost of bill

 Estimated Political Subdivision Impact

FY 2025

FY 2026

FY 2027

FY 2028

 Local Revenue

$0

Increase of $14,338,200 Per Year

 Local Expenditures

$0

$0

$0

$0

METHODOLOGY:

This bill, effective in FY 2026, would require historic horse racing (HHR) licensees to distribute 10% of total HHR revenue to the municipality in which the licensee operates. The Lottery Commission states the language of this bill conflicts with that of RSA 284:23, I(d); specifically, both require HHR revenue (after breakage and prizes paid) to be distributed in different ways. For the purposes of this fiscal note, it is assumed that the intent of the legislation is for 10% of total HHR revenue be collected and paid to municipalities and the remaining HHR revenue to be distributed as otherwise described in RSA 284:23, I(d). In effect, this bill would distribute total HHR revenue as follows:

• 10% of total HHR revenue would be distributed to the municipality where the licensee operates HHR
• The remaining 90% of total HHR revenue would be distributed (per RSA 284:22-b) as follows: 

• 75% (equivalent to 67.5% of total HHR revenue) to the game operator
• 16.25% (equivalent to 14.625% of total HHR revenue) to the Lottery Commission
• 8.75% (equivalent to 7.875% of total HHR revenue) to charities 

In FY 2024, total revenue for HHR was $143,381,237. Of this, the state received $23,299,451. Based on this amount, rounded to $143,382,000, this bill could increase local revenue and decrease state Lottery revenue as follows:

Current Law

Proposed

Increase / (Decrease)

 Total HHR Revenue

$143,382,000 

$143,382,000 

$0 

 Amount to Game Operator 
(75% of Total Under Current Law / 67.5% Under This Bill) 

$107,536,500 

$96,782,850 

($10,753,650)

 Amount to Lottery Commission (16.25% / 14.625%) 

$23,299,575 

$20,969,618 

($2,329,958)

 Amount to Charities (8.75% / 7.875%) 

$12,545,925 

$11,291,333 

($1,254,593)

 Amount to Municipalities (0% / 10.0%) 

$0 

$14,338,200 

$14,338,200 

 Location

Total HHR Revenue

10% to Municipalities

 Belmont

$623,000 

$62,300 

 Keene

$6,214,000 

$621,400 

 Dover

$18,602,000 

$1,860,200 

 Nashua

$34,815,000 

$3,481,50