- North Carolina Republicans have agreed to halt casino expansion in the new state budget.
- The casino expansion cut comes after the two-year budget plan endured a significant delay in the legislature.
- A debate between the House and Senate over the expansion of gambling was at the crux of the extended delay.
North Carolina lawmakers have compromised on a $30 million state budget following a nearly three-month delay. For the budget to pass, the Senate had to agree to drop plans to expand casino and video gambling machines in the state.
Recently, the House and Senate engaged in a heated standoff on gambling expansion. The Senate has long been prepared to approve the construction of new casinos in North Carolina. However, they were met with staunch opposition from their Republican colleagues in the House.
According to House Speaker Tim Moore, there was not enough support from GOP members in the House to support a final budget that includes the expansion of casinos and gambling machines.
Casino Expansion Dead For Now In North Carolina
Moore recently indicated that 30 out of 72 House Republicans were not interested in passing a budget that included the expansion of gambling. The 30 Republicans would not have voted “yes” for a state budget with new casinos in North Carolina.
The opposition from the House was met with a quick rebuttal from Senate leader Phil Berger:
“It is their responsibility to honor the agreement that we had, and that is put (gambling) in, put (the budget) on the floor and we’ll vote on it,” Berger informed reporters. “I believe that House leadership needs to live up to its commitments.”
In July, North Carolina lawmakers proposed the development of four new casinos in the state. At the time, Moore and Berger were in agreement regarding the creation of “entertainment districts” throughout North Carolina.
The plan included the construction of casinos in Nash, Anson, and Rockingham counties. Furthermore, the bill would have permitted the Lumbee Tribe to operate a casino in the eastern region of North Carolina.
However, the project is on hold indefinitely after casino expansion was removed from the state budget. The legislature originally intended to hold votes on two bills: one for the budget, and an additional bill for the expansion of Medicaid and casinos.
With gambling expansion being removed from the budget, Medicaid expansion will now occur when the budget bill is enacted and becomes law. Additionally, the majority of state employees will receive a 4 percent raise this year and a 3 percent raise next year.
Casino Expansion Plan Formulated With Virginia In Mind
Supporters of casino expansion in North Carolina point to the rapid development of casinos next door in Virginia.
In May, Virginia opened a temporary Caesars casino on the NC-Virginia border in Danville. The casino is roughly a 50-minute drive from Greensboro, North Carolina, and roughly over an hour from Durham, North Carolina—the permanent casino plans to open next year.
Gambling advocates in North Carolina claim that Virginia approved the casino on the border to target gamblers in their state. Officials at Caesars Virginia agree with this sentiment from Berger and others.
“We love the location we have here in Danville,” stated Caesars Virginia General Manager, Chris Albrecht. “We’re going to attract customers from all around.”
With the plans for casino expansion scrapped in North Carolina, Caesars Virginia will remain the closest casino to most residents of the Tar Heel State. In addition to the Danville casino, more gambling facilities have been approved by the Virginia legislature close to the state border.
Per state auditors, 86 percent of Caesars Virginia’s revenue will be drawn from out-of-state customers, primarily North Carolina. Berger has stated that the casino, which is only 20 minutes away from his home in North Carolina, is extracting up to $250 million from North Carolina into Virginia.
In 2020, Virginia lawmakers gave the green light to casino gaming referendums in five cities. As a result, casinos have been proposed in counties near the North Carolina border, such as Portsmouth, Bristol, and Norfolk.
On June 14, North Carolina online gambling was legalized. Despite the shift towards being a pro-gambling state with the legalization of online betting in North Carolina, casino expansion remains a hot-button issue in North Carolina.
Currently, there are three tribal casinos open in North Carolina: Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort, Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River, and Catawba Two Kings Casino.
