Special Board of Aldermen 07-06-2021 Page 2
Chairman Caron
Thank you. Someone raised their hand. Please come to the podium and state your name and address please.
The Clerk will tell you when she starts the 3 minute time limit.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
R-21-151
RELATIVE TO A BALLOT REFERENDUM CONCERNING SPORTS BETTING WITHIN
THE CITY OF NASHUA
TESTIMONY IN FAVOR
Giovanna Bonilla
’
Good evening. My name is Giovanna Bonilla. | live at 5 Hopi Drive here in Nashua, New Hampshire. |
also the Director of Events and Partnerships at Boston Billiards Pub and Casino.
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| am here to ask for the Board’s support of the referendum for sports betting be put back on the ballot. |
believe the last time it was on the ballot my understanding from the sounding boards, and talking to the
community is there was a deep misunderstanding on what the vote was for and what it actually meant. So
this is not to decide if people can bet on sports. Itis legal. | think people know that now. It’s legal in the
State. They can do it from their phone. The only thing this would do is allow people to go to a brick and
mortar in person facility to make their bets. There will only be ten in the State so the longer we wait, the
less likely we'll ever have on in Nashua. | assume that they will make their ten selections in the future.
Fifty-one percent of the proceeds would to our education fund for the State so it would do great good there.
While it wouldn’t directly support charitable gaming in Nashua, it would indirectly support immensely as it
would draw people in and definitely make us more diverse and get more people to come to Nashua to
watch games, come on Sundays, and they might dabble and support the other games, therefore supporting
our food and beverage sales and also the charitable gaming that benefits many of the Nashua charities
that we have here.
Chairman Caron
Thank you.
Giovanna Bonilla
You’re welcome.
Chairman Caron
Is there anyone else in the chamber that would like to speak in favor? Okay we'll go to Zoom. Is there
anyone who would like to speak concerning the gaming that’s on Zoom? Would you raise your hand so we
can see you?
Mike Apfelberg
Well you already stated my name but my name is Mike Apfelberg, President of the United Way of Greater
Nashua. | would also as was just previously stated, I’d like to express my support of putting R-21-151
putting the issue before the voters of allowing sports gaming in the City. We are one of many nonprofits
that have participated in charitable gaming and have benefited greatly from the proceeds of charitable
gaming in our community. Between Boston Billiards and the River, these two organizations have pumped
