New North Carolina casinos touted in potential $1.5bn investment

More details continue to come out surrounding gaming expansion talks in North Carolina.

A draft bill would authorize a single company to develop commercial casinos in three counties for a total of US$1.5bn in investment, WRAL-TV reported.

The bill also includes a specific provision for a fourth casino to be run by the Lumbee Tribe in the eastern part of the state even if the tribe does not receive federal recognition, WRAL quoted a copy of the draft bill it obtained.

House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate Majority Leader Phil Berger confirmed that casino discussions are happening alongside state budget negotiations, with Berger saying last week expansion has about a 50 per cent change of approval before the session ends on August 31.

The draft bill establishes eligibility criteria that essentially identifies Anson, Nash, and Rockingham counties as the casino locations in what they are calling new entertainment districts. These districts will consist of a casino, hotels, restaurants and possibly homes, reported WBTV.

A study found that the new casinos could generate approximately $1.7bn in wagers with hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes, and a high number of jobs, WBTV wrote.