NH legislators propose changes to gambling bill

CONCORD, N.H.

A group of New Hampshire legislators in the House is supporting a gambling bill that would cut the number of slot machines from the proposed 17,000 to 9,750 and offer them at five places instead of six.

The House is considering a Senate-passed bill to expand gambling.

Under the proposed House changes, competing proposals for casinos would vie before a three-person tribunal to secure one site each in central and northern New Hampshire. The change is seen as a response to the owners of the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, who said they were left out of the original bill. Other slots would be located in Hudson, Salem and Seabrook.

Another proposed change would repeal the state's new 10 percent tax on gambling winnings.