Jim Rafferty

Board Member

In May 2023, Jim Rafferty and his wife of 38 years, Sarah, sold their two Nashua casinos and retired. The businesses, co-owned for 17 years with their 10 partners, were the crowning achievement of Jim’s 45-year career in the casino business. It had been quite an adventure.

Jim worked primarily in Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe, Nevada but also worked in the casino industry in New Jersey, Colorado, Iowa, West Virginia, Indiana, Mississippi, Mexico, and New York. In the earlier years of his career he was focused on labor and employee relations and was asked to negotiate and administer collective bargaining agreements with many labor unions representing casino employees. Later he was drawn to the marketing side of the casino business and opened more than 15 casinos throughout the country.

In 2006, Jim, his family and his partners focused on an emerging side of the casino business, the concept of charity gaming, which had recently been legalized in New Hampshire. Charity gaming in New Hampshire required that 35% of a casino’s gaming revenue be designated to certified New Hampshire charities. In the following years, they developed, owned and operated several small-scale, low-bet limit casinos: in 2007 the Big Bear Lodge in Brookline, which failed; in 2008-2016 the River Casino & Card Room in Milford, which struggled; in 2016 the River Casino & Sports Bar in downtown Nashua, which was popular; and lastly in 2021 the Lucky Moose Casino & Tavern in Nashua, just off the highway, which was very popular. Over the 16 years of operations, the casinos donated $7.8 million to more than 100 New Hampshire charities.

Jim and Sarah have, and are very proud of, six children and two grandchildren. Throughout Jim’s casino career journey, they additionally developed 17 homes throughout the United States. They currently live in Nashua, New Hampshire.

Jim Rafferty graduated from University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1978 with a bachelor’s degree in hotel and casino management and from Rutgers University in 1989 with a master’s degree in industrial relations.