Andy Sanborn's legal team appeals to top court in casino case

Posted: January 3, 2025, 08:16 pm.

Last updated: January 3, 2025, 08:16 pm.

The co-owners of New Hampshire's Concord Casino want the state's highest court to rule against state officials in an ongoing regulatory and legal battle over the charitable gaming property.

According to New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR), attorneys representing casino co-owner Andy Sanborn recently filed an appeal with the state Supreme Court.

fight over casino sales

Key to Sanborn's case is the allegation that the New Hampshire Lottery Commission and the state Attorney General's office illegally blocked Sanborn from selling the casino. State officials have denied the allegations.

Another part of Sanborn's argument states that Administrative Law Judge Gregory Albert — who recently ruled against Sanborn — believed it was appropriate to grant Sanborn another extension to sell the charitable casino, NHPR reports. Was.

“The equity in this case strongly favors expansion given the positive tax revenues and support of charitable organizations,” Albert said in the November decision, according to NHPR.

But Albert said he did not have the authority to grant an extension. Additionally, Albert said he is not in a position to judge whether the Attorney General's Office or the Lottery Commission allegedly committed wrongdoing in not approving the new owner and granting them a license, the report said. .

Furthermore, the question over the suitability of the potential new buyer “is a question for the courts,” Albert's decision said.

It will depend on the five judges of the Supreme Court whether they will hear the case or not.

license canceled

Sanborn's casino license was revoked in November. Albert allowed the Lottery Commission to revoke the license for two years. According to Sanborn's attorneys, in order to now sell the gaming property, the license needs to be reapplied.

Lawyers argue he has been hurt financially by not being able to sell the Concord casino. If Sanborn is unable to sell the gaming venue, the charities that benefit from the casino will also suffer losses.

The public interest of this case is beyond question,” Sanborn's lawyers added in their appeal.

As of this week, the Attorney General's Office has not yet filed a response to the appeal.

prior argument

In an earlier argument before a Merrimack County Superior Court judge, Sanborn's attorneys argued against the Lottery Commission's actions.

His lawyers claimed that the annulment decision was “unfair and unlawful”.

“Throughout (Sanborn's) efforts to sell its business, (the Commission) attempted to intimidate purchasers (for example, by suggesting that the purchasers would be subject to criminal liability for alleged conduct committed by petitioners prior to the sale). would face), weakening the possibility of a sale, and the reason for delaying the revocation deadline, cited by New Hampshire, according to a portion of the appeal. union leader News outlets.

About a year ago, Sanborn was ordered to close and sell the property following an investigation. The casino's license was also suspended. Over the next several months, Sanborn was granted extensions to close the purchase until the November decision.

An entity called Bettor Investment Group recently attempted to buy Concord Casino, according to concord monitor News outlets. Full House Resorts Inc. was also interested in acquiring Concord Casino, according to monitor.

In 2023, New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella launched an investigation into former state senator Sanborn and his wife, former Representative Laurie Sanborn, for the improper use of $844K in COVID relief loans. Authorities claim Andy Sanborn spent approximately $182K to buy two Porsches and a Ferrari, one of which was given to his wife (a casino co-owner). Sanborn was not charged for that issue.

In October, Sanborn was arrested for fraudulent use of aid given to small businesses during the pandemic. He reportedly increased the casino's gross receipts by nearly $1M, allowing him to receive an additional $188K in government funds.