Hampton Beachs Ocean Gaming Casino goes all in on expansion as gambling grows in NH – Seacoastonline.com

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Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle

HAMPTON Ocean Gaming is looking to expand from its second-floor charitable gaming room into the former ice cream shop downstairs, bringing more games as well as the addition of historic horse racing.

Owner Anthony Fusco said he still needs to finish his permitting process with the town before he can knock down the back wall of the old ice cream store space, its tenant having moved up the street. His hope is to complete that process in time to start construction this winter.

Weve got proper steps to do before this is written in stone, Fusco said. My goal is to be ready by February.

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The ice cream shop is on the other side of the wall from a downstairs gaming room Fusco added to Ocean Gaming three years ago, previously only having an upstairs gaming room.

Ocean Gaming offers table games such as blackjack, roulette and craps, as well as Lucky 7 ticket dispensers. Fusco said the plan is for the wall separating the old ice cream space to be replaced with open space and cages where people can redeem their chips and vouchers. The new space will also feature bingo.

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The addition of historic horse racing comes after that game wasapproved by the state Legislature in June to be added to charitable gaming rooms in New Hampshire. The game has players bet on footage of races that have already occurred, with key information kept from players so they dont know the outcome.

The game will be the first electronic gaming to be introduced in New Hampshire, according to Rick Newman, a lobbyist who works on gaming issues in the state. He said lawmakers were convinced this year that more gambling customers would choose New Hampshires charitable gaming rooms over casinos in other states if they offered an electronic gaming option.

That was what really drove us to ask the Legislature to allow historic horse racing, so that we would have an electronic game to offer, Newman said.

New Hampshire only allows gambling in the form of charitable gaming, which requires 35% of proceeds go to local charities. Fusco said Ocean Gaming has produced $4.2million in donations to charities in its 10-year existence at Hampton Beach. One charity, the American Legion Post 35 in Hampton, received nearly $50,000over the last year from Ocean Gaming. Post 35 Commander Berkley Bennett said the money is used for local school scholarships and awards.

It also helps keep the lights on for us at the post, Bennett said.

Bennett said it's difficult for Post 35 to make money given they lack a bar that many posts run. He said any growth at charitable gaming rooms like Ocean Gaming meansmore help for organizations like the Post 35.

Were always hustling, Bennett said. This was a godsend for us.

Fusco has been working in gaming for 45 years, first in Las Vegas at age 25 before going to work at Foxwoods for 20 years. Having roots in Springfield, Massachusetts, he said coming to Hampton Beach was a like a different world he has come to love for its vacation community. Fusco said he likes the states charitable gaming system in that it is profitable for operators like himself, as well as that it keeps more money in New Hampshire for those in need.

When I first started this, it was a business decision, Fusco said. As I started working with the charities, its more than that.

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Hampton Beachs Ocean Gaming Casino goes all in on expansion as gambling grows in NH - Seacoastonline.com