Lombardo Consulting Group Slots Survey Shows Changing Gaming Attitude of New

On May 14th, 2009, results from a recently released survey show that the residents of the state continue to get use to the idea of permitting slot machines in the state. The survey of four hundred residents in New Hampshire, made by Lombardo Consulting Group, showed forty-eight percent of those respondents picked legalized gaming over other options to raise profit in the state.

The next most popular option, a sales and income tax, were chosen by just eleven percent of those surveyed. When compared with a similar questions made by the Granite State Poll in previous year, it shows an increase in people picking gaming over other options, up from 22% in 1999 and 37% in April 2008. Steve Lombardo, president of Lombardo Consulting Group said that sometime some of the data could swing the other way.

The survey was commissioned by Fix It Now New Hampshire, a special group aimed at installing video slot machines to the Rockingham Park racing track. A Las Vegas-based casino organization, Millennium Gaming, has pledged a $450 million renovation to the racing park if such legislation is approved. The results also state that 69% of those surveyed supported expanded gaming, with 50% strongly backing it.

But that conclusion in direct contrast to the study of the director of the Granite State Poll, a survey made by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center in February. Lombardo stated that he firmly believes that the public opinion has changed considerably towards gaming. But gaming critics think otherwise. The chairman of the Granite State Coalition Against Expanded Gambling said that gaming survey was paid for and made for one purpose-to make owners of casino facilities rich.

Proposals in the New Hampshire Senate and House to allow slot machines in the state have failed this legislative session but gaming supporters in the legislature have stated that they will try their best to reintroduce expanded gaming as the Senate studies the state's budget.

Sunday, 07 June 2009
Theo Evans