Hancock voters will decide at town elections whether to prohibit keno and other games of chance within town limits following two public hearings held by the Select Board on Monday, Feb. 23, at Town Hall.
The proposed warrant articles ask whether the town shall prohibit the operation of keno games and games of chance, respectively.
Town Administrator John Coyne said the hearings stem from House Bill 737, passed by the New Hampshire Legislature on Aug. 11, 2025. The law gives municipalities the local option to prohibit games of chance within their boundaries. It also automatically permits keno unless a municipality votes to ban it.
Keno, a gambling game commonly found in casinos, can also appear in local businesses in the form of machines that resemble slot machines where it is legal, Coyne said.
Although keno is considered a game of chance, the state established separate Revised Statutes Annotated (RSA) requiring towns to present keno and games of chance as two distinct warrant articles.
“Each RSA has a requirement asking for towns to create two articles prohibiting them,” he said.
RSA 284:51, which pertains to keno, goes into effect Jan. 1, 2027. The statute states that if a majority of voters vote “yes” on the ballot question, keno games shall not be operated within the town.
RSA 287-D:32 addresses games of chance and provides that the New Hampshire Lottery Commission shall not grant a game operator employer license if the host municipality has voted to prohibit games of chance or if there is a pending ballot question on the issue at the next regular municipal election.
“There won’t be any lost revenue for the town if we don’t allow these games,” Coyne said. “While keno or games of chance could potentially generate revenue for a business providing the games, none of that revenue would go to the town.”
He added that town raffles would not be affected, as they fall under a different RSA.
The two warrant articles will appear as ballot questions, so they will not be discussed at Town Meeting.