North Carolina residents support the legalization of commercial casinos, but state lawmakers are still not aligned on the idea. A poll by Meredith College in Raleigh reveals that 58% of respondents approve of legal commercial casinos, with only 32% opposing the proposal.
But North Carolina State Senate leader Phil Berger doesn’t expect the issue to come to a debate or a vote any time soon. The 13-term Republican told the Raleigh News & Observer that commercial casino legislation isn’t an issue at the top of the priority list.
I don’t think it’s something that will see the light of day as far as the legislative session we’re in.
Primary challenge for Berger in next election cycle
Berger has supported casinos in the past, saying he is in favor of as many as four commercial casino licenses in North Carolina. But his stance has drawn criticism from Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page, who recently announced he will challenge Berger in the primary next year when the Senator seeks a 14th term.
Page has criticized Berger for wanting to place casinos in Rockingham County and elsewhere without sufficient public input. Rockingham County sits on the state border across from where Virginia has a large casino resort in Danville, only about 25 miles away. That venue attracts many North Carolina residents. Berger wants to snatch that tax revenue for his state. Commercial casinos would also lead to jobs in Rockingham County and other regions of the state.
Sherriff Page is evidently not opposed to commercial casinos in North Carolina, but thinks the public should have a major role in deciding how it proceeds. Current law does not require North Carolina to amend its constitution to permit commercially owned casinos, but some critics say an expansion of gaming should be presented to the public for an up or down vote.
North Carolina had a successful and popular launch of legal online sports betting last year. Earlier this month, sportsbooks in North Carolina experienced its first Super Bowl betting period in the state. But, the state still does not have commercial operators of casinos. There are a handful of tribal-owned casinos in the Tar Heel State.
Pollster: Commercial casinos seen as “inevitable”
Meredith College Poll Director David McLennan sees commercial casinos as the next logical step. In and interview with the News & Observer, he said:
Most North Carolinians seem accustomed to all forms of gambling, so supporting casino gambling in the state does not seem unusual.
While few states have online casinos, including North Carolina, many states have legal commercial casinos. McLennan cites public support and economics as reasons why casinos owned and operated by commercial entities will be a reality.
We have the lottery and have just adopted online sports wagering in the state… many states, including those on the border of North Carolina, now have casino gambling, so even citizens who might have had objections to casino gambling 20 years ago might be resigned to the fact that all forms of gambling are inevitable.
In January, when Caesars Virginia opened in Danville, some North Carolinians came out strongly for a response by their state. Broadcaster Jim Longworth argued that customers would flock across the state border to Virginia, taking their money with them. Longworth believes commercial casinos make sense in the Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point areas north-central North Carolina, and a short distance from Danville and Caesars Virginia.
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