By TORY DENIS
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CLAREMONT — A new gaming business that gives more than a third of all proceeds to local nonprofit organizations made its first donation on Tuesday, with a check for $2,441.25 to the Claremont Senior Citizens Center.
Pleasant Street Gaming, LLC is a licensed charitable gaming facility that hosts Texas Hold ‘em poker tournaments to benefit local nonprofits. Plans include adding blackjack and roulette.
Co-owners Carla Prinn and Berkess “Chuck” Carroll were at the 84 Pleasant St. location on Tuesday to present the check to Judy St. Pierre, chair of the board of directors for the Claremont Senior Center, and Claire Lessard, executive director of the center.
“It’s been awesome working with them. These people are fabulous,” St. Pierre said. “They’ve already got us signed up for next year!”
“We are definitely excited,” said Carroll, who said business has been going well since they opened on March 27 next door to Pleasant Street Restaurant.
“We both love to play poker,” said Prinn, who is Carroll’s stepsister and business partner.
Prinn takes care of the business side and paperwork, while Carroll, who owns 70 percent of the business, oversees day-to-day operations and is often at the facility late into the evening.
Carroll said he came up with the idea for a gaming center in Claremont because he enjoys playing poker and has gone to similar gaming centers in Keene, Hampton Falls, Belmont and other locations.
“It seemed like a perfect fit,” he said. “I said, ‘Let’s do it here. Let’s give back to our community.’”
Carroll said he grew up in the Claremont area.
“I just decided to bring it home,” he said. “This is my home.”
The center gives 35 percent of proceeds to nonprofit organizations and 15 percent to the state. The New Hampshire Racing and Charitable Gaming Commission, the state’s lottery division, oversees all operations for licensed facilities such as this one, the owners said.
State regulations mandate that a charitable gaming facility pay out to a nonprofit every 10 days. For the first payout, it took 10 business days during the first full month due to getting operations set up. Going forward, however, a donation will be made every 10 days.
Applicants must be registered nonprofits to apply for the payout. They can apply through the New Hampshire Racing and Charitable Gaming Commission and must be approved through the state before they can receive a payout.
The gaming center on Pleasant Street has two cash tables and five tournament tables and can host a 45-player tournament, Carroll said.
Carroll has spent a year and a half renovating the location — including painting, carpeting and building gaming tables by hand with the help of Jamie Sirek, one of the dealers.
Upcoming plans include a set of French doors that will open up a wall and connect the gaming center to the Pleasant Street Restaurant, which is owned by his in-laws, Todd and Pam Johnson.
With the doors in place, waitresses will be able to circulate with drinks in the gaming rooms, Prinn said.
Pleasant Street Gaming employs seven part-time dealers and plans to have 10 employees total within the next two weeks, and another two when it introduces blackjack and roulette.
The gaming center is open on Tuesday through Saturday with buyins ranging in price, and with varying payouts, generally from 2 p.m. to 1 a.m. and with late registration available.
At this time, the gaming center has a few charities lined up to receive payouts but it is in need of five or six more nonprofit applicants to complete the calendar year.
Any nonprofits that would like to apply for a payout through state of New Hampshire can call Prinn at (603) 558-2086 for more information. For more information on general game schedules, call (603) 504-6065.
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