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Concord – The new state law regulating games of chance -- primarily aimed at Texas Hold 'Em poker -- came under fire from a packed house of people representing charitable organizations yesterday.
The law transfers oversight of the games from municipalities to the Pari-Mutuel Commission, and yesterday's session was held to outline new rules and responsibilities.
Many of the 150 people in the Department of Health and Human Services auditorium said the law asks too much of small organizations composed primarily of volunteers.
"That's the end of Texas Hold 'Em as far as the Bedford Men's Club is concerned," said Bill Burns, the group's treasurer. "It's way too burdensome. What it means is that anybody who wants to comply with the rules will have to go to professional gaming operators."
The law requires organizations to complete a nearly 20-page application to get a license, which allows them to hold games of chance 10 days per year.
Criminal background checks are required for every member of an organization, such as a Lions club or an American Legion post, who volunteers to help with the event, including people serving food and drinks.
Two passport-style photos must also be submitted by each person involved from a charity. Charities must now pay the state $25 per night for the games -- a $250 charge for 10 days of games -- when previously there was a one-time $25 charge to local police departments. Game expenses must also be drawn from a charity's checking account established solely for that purpose.
"Are you actually telling me that for my 10 poker games I have to have a separate checkbook?" asked Susan MacNeil, executive director of AIDS Services for the Monadnock Region. "That's insane."
MacNeil lamented having to resort to gambling to remain solvent, and complained that the new law penalizes the wrong people.
"You should have been going after the unscrupulous dealers," said MacNeil, addressing Pari-Mutuel Commission Director Paul Kelley and other state officials directing the session.
"This is incredibly onerous for a small organization," said MacNeil. "I think it's outrageous."
Kelley repeatedly told the crowd that he and commission gaming inspectors now charged with enforcement are simply carrying out the will of the state Legislature.
The law requires that at least 35 percent of all gross proceeds from a gaming event go to the sponsoring charity after prizes are paid.
Some charities choose to hold their own fund-raising events, while many turn to professional gaming consultants -- there are seven licensed in New Hampshire -- to advertise and stage the games.
"We're trying to ensure as much money as possible goes to charities," said Kelley.
Burns said his members considered hiring a gaming consultant for three nights of poker held over the past two years, but decided they'd be better off financially going it alone.
"We did a heck of a lot better than 35 percent," he said. "We all had fun, (the gamblers) had fun, and we gave it all away."
Kelley assured the crowd that the Pari-Mutuel Commission will honor all games of chance authorized by chiefs of police prior to July 19, when the law took effect.
While Texas Hold 'Em has emerged in recent years as the most popular form of charity gambling, the law also regulates games such as craps, black jack and roulette.
Rep. Kenneth Weyler, R-Kingston, primary sponsor of the measure, said lawmakers had to put safeguards such as background checks into the law to appease the "anti-gambling crowd."
"It may be harder on the smaller, than the larger (charities), but hopefully that will all be worked out," said Weyler. "Everything's a compromise."
Rep. Hector Velez, D-Manchester, asked people in the crowd unhappy with the legislation to "look in the mirror."
Velez said lobbyists and gaming consultants attended a few public sessions when the language was being crafted, but just one charity group showed up.
Those comments drew a hot response from several people who said they weren't notified of the legislative sessions and that, even if they had been, they would have had to take time off from work to attend.
Concord lobbyist Richard Bouley told the crowd it still has two avenues to make changes to the law.
An 11-member commission to study the legislation will soon be established, he said, and two of its members must represent charities. Also, the games of chance rules are now labeled "interim." They expire Jan. 21, 2007, and will be superseded by rules that go into effect for eight years.
"If we don't like some of the things (in the law), we need to change it," said Bouley. "We need to contact our legislators."
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