New Hampshire Developer Targets 2027 Opening for Littleton Casino

^{The charming small town of Littleton, New Hampshire, may soon be the home of a 230-machine casino that developer Granite State Gaming hopes to open by early 2027. (Photo: Tom Cassidy / Alamy)}

A new casino coming to Littleton, New Hampshire, could open as early as 2027, according to developer Granite State Gaming and Hospitality.

Company CEO Eric Barbaro outlined the timeline last week, saying that construction on the casino would begin in June or July.

Plans for the new casino first emerged in February, when casino developer Greg Carlin paid $10 million to purchase properties on Meadow Street, including land that currently hosts Staples and Tire Warehouse.

Littleton Casino to Rely on Class III Games

The Littleton casino is planned to have about 230 electronic gaming machines, 12 traditional table games, another 12 electronic table games, and a restaurant. The project is expected to generate approximately 60 to 80 full-time jobs. 

Barbaro says that the ongoing moratorium on Historical Horse Racing machines at New Hampshire casinos won’t impact the new casino, as it will utilize Class III gaming machines that rely on random number generators, such as traditional slot machines.

“We find that some of the gameplay experience is a little better on a Class III because it doesn’t have to go through those bottlenecks of information and data pulling, and I think the guests are starting to see some of that,” Barbaro told Ink Link News. “That’s why we’re seeing more interest in Class III games than Class II games.”

Staples Building to Host Casino, Tire Warehouse Could Become Parking

Barbaro plans to put the casino entirely in the old Staples building. But construction can’t begin until four months after Staples received notice to vacate, which is what is pushing the groundbreaking date to this summer. 

It’s not yet determined what will happen to the Tire Warehouse site, though Barbaro indicated that parking is the most likely use.

“The main focus right now is parking,” Barbaro said. “I think by acquiring that land up north, it gives us some other opportunities on how we’re going to position the parking lot so the other businesses aren’t negatively impacted by casino operations and the casino operation has the ability to also park their employees.”

As in other locations, some Littleton residents have expressed concerns that a casino could increase gambling addiction and crime in the city. But Barbaro says Granite State Gaming faced the same concerns before opening its Lilac Club Casino in Rochester, New Hampshire, and was able to assuage those fears.

Also of interest is the company’s decision to limit casino access to those aged 21 and up, despite New Hampshire law permitting casino gambling for those 18 and up.

“We don’t see the value of having 18- to 20-year-olds,” Barbaro told Ink Link News. “We were the first company to say 21-plus, even though 18 is allowed.”