Senate Leader Phil Berger said the legalisation of igaming will be discussed in the context of negotiations to include authorisation of as many as four new casinos in North Carolina in the state budget for the next fiscal year, WRAL–TV reported.
Berger noted that legislators are also considering statewide legalisation of VLTs in addition to the four rural casinos. He explained that the top concern will be the potential impact on revenue of further expansion of gambling.
North Carolina is set to open a legal online sports betting market next year, and the North Carolina Lottery Commission recently approved the sale of digital instant games to begin by November 15.
Scott Ward, the VP of the Sports Betting Alliance, said that if legislators are going to pass legislation to expand gambling, it makes sense to include igaming. “This is where the consumer is now,” Ward said.
Ward also said that data from other states shows that igaming attracts a different audience than brick-and-mortar casinos. Six states, including Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, have legalised igaming.
House Speaker Tim Moore said he supports the legalisation of VLTs, though he has real concerns about igaming.
Legislators have had discussions on the expansion of land-based casinos this summer, with a draft proposal for casino and entertainment districts in Rockingham, Nash and Anson counties with a single developer investing US$500m in each and a new tribal casino operated by the Lumbee Tribe in the south eastern part of the state.
Source: Fantini's Gaming Report
