Throughout a gathering scheduled to happen immediately, Rochester’s Metropolis Council will talk about the opportunity of permitting residents to resolve whether or not or not they need a sportsbook within the metropolis. If metropolis councilors approve the on line casino referendum immediately, it could possibly be added to the November 7 common election poll after a Metropolis Council vote in September and a public listening to in October.
Rochester Mayor Paul Callaghan appears optimistic that council members will approve the on line casino referendum, explaining that the Metropolis Council has already handed a gaming ordinance, which states the place a charitable on line casino could possibly be situated within the metropolis and descriptions different necessities. Maura McCann, a spokesperson for the New Hampshire Lottery Fee, defined that each one three sportsbooks at the moment working within the state are situated inside charitable gaming amenities as required by the ordinance. She revealed that 16 different cities have submitted functions to host retail sports activities betting amenities in an try to spice up their economic system.
Nonetheless, this isn’t the primary time Rochester residents have been requested whether or not or not they need a sportsbook within the metropolis. The primary on line casino referendum came about in 2019, however Rochester voters rejected the proposal with a vote of 1,488-1,439 in opposition to it. Thus, if council members comply with put the query on the upcoming poll, there isn’t any assure that Rochester voters will again the on line casino challenge this time.
What Particular Necessities Sportsbooks Should Meet to Function in New Hampshire?
In keeping with state legislation, New Hampshire can host as much as 10 retail sports activities wagering places, which have to be situated inside charitable gaming amenities. In 2019, the New Hampshire Lottery Fee signed a contract with DraftKings to handle on-line and retail sports activities betting operations within the state. In the intervening time, New Hampshire hosts three DraftKings Sportsbooks situated in Dover, Manchester, and Seabrook.
New Hampshire has some particular guidelines for sportsbooks concerning their places outlined within the Rochester gaming ordinance. Betting outlets have to be situated inside a charitable gaming facility and may solely be permitted in sure areas, reminiscent of the town’s freeway industrial zone or the Granite Ridge zone. Moreover, operators should get hold of a conditional use allow to find their on line casino at The Ridge procuring plaza.
The ordinance additionally stipulates that any sportsbook on line casino will need to have a gaming flooring of a minimum of 20,000 sq. toes, excluding house for accounting, upkeep, surveillance, safety, administrative places of work, and storage. There are some particular necessities concerning the parking house. As an illustration, the parking zone should embody house for bus parking and bus loading and a minimum of 0.75 parking areas per gaming place within the on line casino.
Moreover, a minimum of 2% of parking areas will need to have electrical car charging stations, with a minimum of 4 per website. Lastly, there are requirements in place for out of doors leisure noise, structure, and landscaping.
