Andy Sanborn, the owner of Concord Casino, stands accused of fraudulently leveraging a COVID-19 loan in support of his opulent lifestyle which includes testimonials of cash payments masked as rent, and three high-end motor vehicles, two Porsches for himself and a Ferrari for his wife, Laurie. The New Hampshire Lottery Commission and Attorney General’s Office have subsequently deemed him unsuitable for any association with the state’s charitable gaming initiatives.
The case underscores the crucial role of law enforcement in deterring illegal activities within New Hampshire’s charitable gaming industry. The Attorney General, John Formella, emphasized the mandate of his office to act against any individuals exploiting their regulated casinos for personal gain, explicitly at the expense of taxpayers’ funds.
The focus of the allegations is the $844,000 Sanborn claimed under the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan provided by the Small Business Association, a relief fund in which casinos were deliberately excluded as eligible beneficiaries. To circumvent this, Sanborn excluded the official trade name, “Concord Casino,” from his application, instead designating the business activity as “miscellaneous.”
Evidence retrieved by the Attorney General’s Civil Law Bureau compellingly suggests Sanborn’s willful and knowing engagement in a fraudulent scheme designed to deceive the United States Small Business Administration. Additionally, revelations of considerable personal expenditure by Sanborn and his wife, State Representative Laurie Sanborn—funded by the proceeds from the SBA loan—have come to light.
Among the documented extravagances are $181,250 for two Porsche 987 Cayman S race cars, an $80,000 2008 F430 Ferrari, $45,000 spent on auto parts and services, $183,500 in self-made cash payments camouflaged as rent, and $28,800 invested in engineering and consulting services for proposed casino construction.
In light of these findings, the Lottery Commission is primed to revoke Sanborn’s licenses, both for his gaming facility and as a game operator employer. Sanborn is granted a window of ten days for launching an appeal against this ruling.
The matter has been passed onto the United States Attorney’s Office by the Attorney General, with recommendations for possible criminal prosecution.
In a parallel development, Laurie Sanborn was recently named the head of a 13-member commission directed to review gaming laws in the state, including the issue of whether charities receive an equitable portion of the revenue and the question of whether casinos are acting within the prescribed laws.
The Sanborns also acquired Concord city’s approval to build an additional casino, covering an area of 43,000 square feet, at the end of Loudon Road in June. This approval, however, is contested in court by residents who argue that they were illegitimately denied their due process rights when the proposal was passed by the board with insufficient notice.
