- A proposal to build a charitable casino in Lebanon, New Hampshire will be discussed by the local planning board this week.
- The proposal seeks to build a gaming space at the former Gerrish Honda Dealership property in Miracle Mile.
- Last year, former senator Andy Sanborn, presented a proposal to build a charitable casino on the east side of Concord.
A proposal to build a charitable casino in Lebanon, New Hampshire will be tackled by the local planning board this week.
The board is expected to discuss the proposal, schedule a visit, and hold a public hearing before considering to approve the proposed casino at the site that used to be Gerrish Honda on the street locally called the Miracle Mile.
Lebanon Charitable Casino at Miracle Mile
Miracle Mile casino plannedhttps://t.co/thY1vgR3F7
— Valley News (@VNewsUV) December 30, 2022
According to a report from Valley News, a New Hampshire news outlet, the proposal seeks to build a gaming space with 111 electronic gaming devices, 90 gaming tables, and a 41-seat restaurant/bar. The project would use the existing building on the property, which is currently vacant. As envisioned, it will have 17,335 square feet of area on the first floor and a 1,360 square foot mezzanine.
The property is a former Honda dealership that was sold in 2016 to Gengras Motor Cars, a Connecticut-based auto dealer. Gengras later renamed the business Upper Valley Honda and relocated it to White River Junction in July 2020, leaving the Miracle Mile property vacant. The company’s principal is Jonathan Gengras, who has partnered with Stefan Huba, a casino development consultant, to propose the Miracle Mile casino.
Per reports, Gengras will remain as the owner of the property which he will lease for Huba to operate. If approved, it will be the second charitable casino in Lebanon, after the Lebanon Poker Room & Casino, which opened in 2018 and offers poker, blackjack, roulette, and 34 slot machines.
Concord Casino Proposal
New Hampshire: Former senator proposes new casino on Concord's east side https://t.co/iLzbbSV9tK
— Yogonet Gaming News (@YogonetNews) September 23, 2022
Last year, businessman and former New Hampshire Senator Andy Sanborn, owner of Draft Sports Bar & Grill and Concord Casino, emerged to propose a 43,000-square-foot venue on the east side of Concord City. Sanborn made his initial proposal to the Concord Planning Board last September, dangling a promise of additional revenue and 250 new jobs once his project materializes.
Sanborn’s proposal was to build a Concord casino in three phases. The first phase would include a casino with a 24,000-square-foot gaming area, and an 8,500-square-foot restaurant and pub that could accommodate 150 customers. The casino would be located near the intersection of Loudon and Sheep Davis roads, and close to Interstate 393 off a street named Break O’Day Drive.
The centralized building will feature metal panels on the side and a brick front with an overhang for vehicles to drop off and pick up guests and lobby access. Phase 2 would include the construction of a hotel tower while the final phase of the project will see the rise of an events center which will have the capacity to host events such as weddings, educational meetings, work gatherings, and other similar group activities.
Charitable Casinos
Under New Hampshire Law, charitable casinos are allowed to offer games like poker, bingo, lottery, keno, and raffles plus casino games like roulette, blackjack, and electronic slot machines. Charitable casinos are approved and regulated by the New Hampshire Lottery Commission.
These charitable casinos are mandated by law to donate 35% of their revenues to charitable non-profit organizations. The beneficiaries are selected by the New Hampshire Lottery Commission, which approved funding requests submitted by charitable groups registered with the New Hampshire Secretary of State’s Office and N.H. Charitable Trust Division of the Attorney General’s Office for at least two years.
A list of these charitable organizations can be found on the website of the New Hampshire Lottery Commission. As of the end of 2022, the website’s list contains more than 12,000 charitable non-profit organizations.
