FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Concord, NH – September 05, 2025
AS THE New Hampshire Legislature prepares for a new session, one issue is certain to consume time and attention once again: the state’s ever-expanding casino gaming industry. The controversy surrounding former state senator Andy Sanborn and the downtown Concord Casino has become a case study in how weak regulation leaves the Granite State vulnerable.
Recently, the City of Concord granted Sanborn a one-year extension on permits tied to his proposed new casino project off Loudon Road. This decision comes despite the fact that Sanborn no longer holds a gaming license and has been ordered by the New Hampshire Lottery Commission to sell his existing casino. So how did we get here?
Sanborn, a Bedford resident and longtime fixture in the state’s charitable gaming scene, operated the Concord Casino (alongside The Draft Sports Bar and Grill) for over half a decade through his company, Win Win Win LLC. But his operation came under intense scrutiny after the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2023, a joint investigation by the Attorney General’s Office and the Lottery Commission found that Sanborn allegedly misused nearly $844,000 in federal pandemic relief loans, spending the money on luxury cars and personal expenses—funds that were never intended for casinos. Based on those findings, the Lottery Commission suspended his license in December 2023 and ordered him to sell Concord Casino within six months or face permanent revocation.
That deadline was extended multiple times. By mid-2024, Sanborn’s attorneys claimed to have found a buyer, but regulators questioned whether the deal was legitimate, citing incomplete documentation and doubts about the buyer’s qualifications. Reports suggested Sanborn could stand to gain millions if the sale went through, though exact figures remain unclear.
Meanwhile, his legal troubles deepened. In October 2024, Sanborn was arrested and charged with felony theft by deception, accused of inflating his Concord Casino’s revenue to secure nearly $189,000 from New Hampshire’s Main Street Relief Fund, another pandemic program. Similar charges were filed against the Concord Casino itself, further complicating the sale process. While Sanborn’s wife, State Representative Laurie Sanborn, was linked to the federal loan misuse probe, she has not been charged.
An administrative judge later upheld the state’s decision to revoke Sanborn’s license for two years, but the New Hampshire Supreme Court has since put that ruling on hold while Sanborn’s appeal proceeds. For now, the order to sell Concord Casino will stand, but whether Sanborn’s license revocation will be overturned remains in limbo.
Agree or disagree with Concord’s choice to extend Sanborn’s Loudon Road permits, the real issue is bigger than one man’s alleged missteps. The Sanborn saga highlights the failure of New Hampshire lawmakers to establish clear, enforceable regulations on casino ownership and oversight. Unlike every other state with legalized gaming, New Hampshire has opened the door to casinos without enough guardrails—no serious vetting of operators, not enough oversight, no host community agreements to offset local costs and other adverse impacts, and no say for towns or cities about where these facilities land.
Until the Legislature addresses these gaps, the Granite State’s gaming industry will remain a breeding ground for confusion, controversy, and scandal. The simple truth? It’s well past time for change.