From the ED's Desk - The future of Charitable Gaming
On December 15, 2025, I received an email from our Charitable Gaming Partner of the past four years informing us that our agreement would not be renewed for 2026. Naturally, I was devastated, as the partnership had provided Fellowship Housing with an average of $21,000 in funding during that time. The reason given was that our partner wanted to reach more charities in their local area.
I understand the desire of casinos to support a broader range of charities. During the time we collaborated with our partner, the number of days allocated to us decreased from ten to seven, and then to five, as they worked to fund more organizations. However, I had a harder time understanding the decision to limit partnerships to local charities. I was particularly struck by the fact that several of their current partners receive funding exceeding $200,000, while we never reached that level.
In early 2026, we began reaching out to other casinos to explore new partnerships and secure funding. I was relieved to hear from one of these contacts yesterday, who offered us ten days in 2026; an opportunity for which we are very grateful. This experience led me to think that there must be a better way to connect nonprofit organizations across the state with charitable gaming partners that have funds to distribute. I am not alone in this belief. Legislators are currently considering several options to reach more charities, distribute funds more equitably, and bring greater transparency to the selection process.
In 2025, 1,251 charities received a total of $64,000,000, averaging $51,160 per organization. However, a closer look reveals a wide disparity: the amount received per day ranged from $64 for one charity to $31,174 for another. These figures, and the number of nonprofits participating in charitable gaming, raise important questions about how casinos select their partners and how their waitlists are structured.
Moving forward, transparency and a consistent application process at each casino should be a priority if charitable gaming is to truly benefit nonprofit organizations in New Hampshire. While casinos rely on nonprofit partners to operate these programs, organizations like Fellowship Housing also depend on casinos to fund services that would not otherwise be possible.
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