North Carolina's GOP leaders start to lose interest in commercial casinos.
State lawmakers in North Carolina experienced a stalemate over legalizing commercial casinos in the past, and it could hinder future discussions on the matter. Discouragement from the last unsuccessful attempt may persist, making it difficult to bring casino resorts to the state.
The legislative session commenced on April 24 and continues through the end of July. Speaker of the House Tim Moore (R-Cleveland), who initially backed the casino bill proposed by Phil Berger (R-Rockingham), revealed that residual "hard feelings" from last year's debate might impact any future gaming-related talks.
Discussions concerning the expansion of the state lottery system to include video lottery terminals (VLTs) could be overshadowed due to the lingering resentment.
VLTs are electronic gambling devices that function like slots, employing lottery simulations controlled by a central lottery system.
Declining Casino Support
Moore, who was initially on board with Berger's casino proposal, withdrew his support when he faced significant backlash from his fellow Republicans and the potentially impacted communities. Although surveys indicated that a majority of residents in favor of introducing casinos, the House Republicans took issue with how Berger allegedly brokered a deal with The Cordish Companies, a Maryland-based casino business with interests in running Live!-branded casinos in Pennsylvania and Maryland, to include in the budget bill.
Many representatives contended that a fundamental transformation in North Carolina's economy and society should not be addressed through opaque measures. They were unhappy with Berger's inclusion of The Cordish Companies, which would have enjoyed exclusive access to the licensing process in the three targeted counties - Rockingham, Anson, and Nash.
Berger had argued that thecasinos would have boosted regional economic growth in those counties and prevented gaming revenues from ending up across the border in Virginia, where new casinos were being established. However, his effort to introduce casino gaming was met with defeat and threats from his supporters to financially support a challenger in his 2024 re-election campaign.
In response, Berger suspended his plan for pushing casino legislation and expressed no intention of pursuing any further action on the issue.
Potential Change in Leadership
Moore, should he maintain his Congressional campaign in North Carolina's newly mapped 14th District, may not remain in Raleigh, the state capital. The House Speaker is being challenged by Pamela Genant, a former US Army first lieutenant, a registered nurse, and home educator. Moore received endorsements from Trump, who spearheaded a bid for a second term in 2024. Albeit a close call in the previous election, Trump outperformed Biden by a 1.3% margin. Moore is expected to prevail against Genant.
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Source: www.casino.org
