Rumor Has it...

ishoot308 · 05-22-2025, 05:43 AM

From what I was told, the owner of the building the arcade is in has tripled the rent in an effort to get them out for a casino…Again all second hand info but reliable source.

For what it’s worth…

Dan

BroadHopper · 05-22-2025, 07:11 AM

I heard from very reliable sources that Bruton Smith, the last previous owner of the NH Speedway was lobbying to have in place a very large casino across the street from the race track. He has the infrastructure in place to support the venue.

John Mercier · 05-22-2025, 12:40 PM

He was when they were going to license a limited number of operations for extended casino gaming.

Problem was that the supporters of those casinos wanted to pick specific winners, which violates the NH Constitution.

They could auction a limited number of licenses, but could not choose the sites.

But the purpose of buying the NHIS was to move the NASCAR races to venues with greater revenue. NASCAR stopped him from removing all the races.

At that time, Boomers were making NASCAR attendance surge... but not enough in NH to fill the even the limited number of seats for two events.

Not even sure the single event fills up at this point in time.

BroadHopper · 05-23-2025, 07:28 AM

Locals will show up at NHIS at the ticket booth, just after the NASCAR race starts. If available empty seats were secured at a fraction of the original cost.

A buddy of mine even secured a box seat!

RUGMAN · 05-23-2025, 02:52 PM

Discussion of a zoning change for operation of casinos is on the City Council agenda for next Tuesday night the 27th. It maybe an opportunity to express any ones concerns about it being on Lakeside ave.

sky's · 05-25-2025, 10:15 AM

so happy i live in Sandwhich.

JayR · 05-25-2025, 02:18 PM

Bruton Smith died 3 years ago. His son Marcus now runs Speedway Motorsports. I know there is plenty of land there. Seems much more likely than any Weirs project, given the issues and space limitations there.

I still have a jar of those yellow "50" ticket coupons from when I was a kid. Anyone remember those? As you accumulated tickets from skee-ball and other games at the Weirs, you could trade 50 of them for one yellow one, so that you wouldn't have so many darn tickets cluttering up that old shoebox (which later also had Funspot tickets and tokens in it of course...)

map · 05-26-2025, 12:15 PM

It would be nice to have some better shops and cafes, etc. in that ugly building. I’d hate for a casino to go in there. I guess because of bike week we can’t have finer things here in the Weirs.

05-22-2025, 05:43 AM	#1
ishoot308 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Gilford, NH / Welch Island Posts: 6,311 Thanks: 2,407 Thanked 5,310 Times in 2,071 Posts	Casino From what I was told, the owner of the building the arcade is in has tripled the rent in an effort to get them out for a casino…Again all second hand info but reliable source. For what it’s worth… Dan __________________ It's Always Sunny On Welch Island!!

05-22-2025, 07:11 AM	#2
BroadHopper Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Laconia NH Posts: 5,592 Thanks: 3,233 Thanked 1,109 Times in 798 Posts	Area Casino I heard from very reliable sources that Bruton Smith, the last previous owner of the NH Speedway was lobbying to have in place a very large casino across the street from the race track. He has the infrastructure in place to support the venue. __________________ Someday may never be an actual day.

05-23-2025, 07:28 AM	#4
BroadHopper Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Laconia NH Posts: 5,592 Thanks: 3,233 Thanked 1,109 Times in 798 Posts	Locals secret Locals will show up at NHIS at the ticket booth, just after the NASCAR race starts. If available empty seats were secured at a fraction of the original cost. A buddy of mine even secured a box seat! __________________ Someday may never be an actual day.

05-25-2025, 02:18 PM	#7
JayR Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Westwood, MA and sometimes Gilford, NH Posts: 62 Thanks: 23 Thanked 20 Times in 12 Posts	Bruton / Marcus Smith Bruton Smith died 3 years ago. His son Marcus now runs Speedway Motorsports. I know there is plenty of land there. Seems much more likely than any Weirs project, given the issues and space limitations there. I still have a jar of those yellow "50" ticket coupons from when I was a kid. Anyone remember those? As you accumulated tickets from skee-ball and other games at the Weirs, you could trade 50 of them for one yellow one, so that you wouldn't have so many darn tickets cluttering up that old shoebox (which later also had Funspot tickets and tokens in it of course...) __________________ Jay R. (Westwood, MA) "Faithfully losing the ice-out contest since 1975"

05-22-2025, 12:40 PM	#3
John Mercier Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2021 Posts: 3,478 Thanks: 3 Thanked 610 Times in 504 Posts	He was when they were going to license a limited number of operations for extended casino gaming. Problem was that the supporters of those casinos wanted to pick specific winners, which violates the NH Constitution. They could auction a limited number of licenses, but could not choose the sites. But the purpose of buying the NHIS was to move the NASCAR races to venues with greater revenue. NASCAR stopped him from removing all the races. At that time, Boomers were making NASCAR attendance surge... but not enough in NH to fill the even the limited number of seats for two events. Not even sure the single event fills up at this point in time.

05-23-2025, 02:52 PM	#5
RUGMAN Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: weirs beach, Posts: 308 Thanks: 39 Thanked 40 Times in 33 Posts	Discussion of a zoning change for operation of casinos is on the City Council agenda for next Tuesday night the 27th. It maybe an opportunity to express any ones concerns about it being on Lakeside ave.

05-25-2025, 10:15 AM	#6
sky's Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 279 Thanks: 68 Thanked 78 Times in 54 Posts	so happy i live in Sandwhich.

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05-26-2025, 12:15 PM	#8
map Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: The Weirs Posts: 226 Thanks: 185 Thanked 66 Times in 49 Posts	It would be nice to have some better shops and cafes, etc. in that ugly building. I’d hate for a casino to go in there. I guess because of bike week we can’t have finer things here in the Weirs.