Group calling for slot machines at Rockingham Park says approval would spur a $450 million upgrade followed by $200 million in state revenue a year

“Fix It Now New Hampshire,” a group calling for video slot machines at Rockingham Park race track in Salem, N.H., says the move will bring $200 million a year to the state’s treasury.

As reported in the New Hampshire Union Leader newspaper, the group said that if the Legislature acts before June,  what it calls “limited gaming” machines would be up and running within seven months at a temporary facility on track property.      

Millennium Gaming, which holds the option to purchase the track, plans to begin a two-year $450 million upgrade if slots are approved.

The coalition said the boost in attendance and revenue would also allow Rockingham to reintroduce thoroughbred racing, which it ended five years ago. The track would continue running a Texas Hold’em poker room that hosts games to benefit charities.

With Massachusetts bringing back plans to open state-run casinos, it’s urgent for New Hampshire to act quickly and establish customer loyalty, the group urged.

Bills introduced so far in the New Hampshire Legislature also call for casinos in the North Country, and legalized slots at dog tracks.