HIGH STAKES WITH THE EXPANSION OF GAMBLING IN HAMPTON BEACH, NEW HAMPSHIRE

As the Hampton Beach Casino redevelopment proposal pushes forward, North Hampton Police Chief Kevin Walsh is sounding the alarm — and for good reason.

In a September 22 letter to the Hampton Planning Board, Walsh delivered a sobering warning: casino expansion brings with it increased crime, traffic congestion, social decay, and economic instability. He cited lessons from places like Foxwoods in Connecticut, where once-promising casino projects eventually led to business closures, declining revenues for local shops, and mounting strain on police and social services. Even worse, Walsh cautioned, these operations tend to prey on vulnerable residents — particularly seniors and low-income families who can least afford it.

The proposed development, spearheaded by Sal Lupoli, would consume an entire block between D and F streets, featuring a 52,000-square-foot casino, luxury condos, a hotel, retail space, a concert venue, and a massive parking garage. The developers promise economic growth and charitable proceeds, but history — and common sense — suggest otherwise.

While a handful of local unelected figures, including Bob Preston and former State Senator Nancy Stiles, tout the project as a “boost” for the economy and nonprofits, skeptics like Chief Walsh see a deeper threat: a slow erosion of Hampton’s small-town character, local safety, and moral integrity in exchange for short-term profits and flashy promises.

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This is not economic development — its social risk disguised as progress.

Chief Kevin Walsh’s warnings deserve serious attention. His public safety concerns have been minimized by the Hampton Planning Board and unelected Chamber of Commerce insiders, who seem more interested in appeasing developers than protecting residents.

Impact fees from the project should be strictly dedicated to Hampton’s Public Works Department — funding infrastructure, roads, drainage, and sewer upgrades already identified in the Town’s Capital Improvement Plan, rather than lining the pockets of special interests.

The Town of Hampton should not be accepting gambling revenues under any circumstance. The town is not a charitable organization, and no voter-approved mandate authorizes such dependence on gambling dollars. Municipal budgets should rest on fiscal integrity, not on the unpredictable and morally questionable proceeds of casino gaming.

In short, Hampton faces a defining choice: protect its values and community safety or sell its character to casino developers promising prosperity that history shows never lasts.