The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina is set to vote on whether to build a casino on the new land it purchased in North Carolina in January.
The issue is now set to be put before tribal voters. If approved, the tribal council could then move forward with gaming compacts with the state. That includes permitting, licensing, and instituting regulating processes.
The tribe hasn’t announced an exact date for the vote yet. However, both the land purchase and the vote comes after the federal government recognized the tribe in December.
While the tribe agreed to let everyone vote on the issue, the tribal council wants the community to vote “yes” on the issue.
“The tribal council finds it in the best interest and welfare of the tribe to authorize gaming activities on tribal lands,” a resolution passed last week said.
Federal Recognition Took Decades
The Lumbee Nation worked for decades to secure federal recognition. Achieving that has allowed the group access to more federal programs and given the tribe the option of building a casino on 240 acres of land in Robeson County, purchased for $6 million.
“If and when our people vote for gaming, this 241-acre tract could serve as the site of a casino and resort, accompanied by a shopping outlet and additional amenities such as a golf course, a high-end driving range, a water park, or similar attractions,” Lumbee Tribal Chairman John L. Lowery told local media.
Tribal members, which total around 60,000, are mostly located in Southern North Carolina. The property would be the Tar Heel State’s fourth tribal casino and the first in the eastern part of the state, a little over 100 miles from Raleigh and 75 miles from Myrtle Beach.
Mixed Views
Backers of the plan believe the casino could bring economic development to the area and create about 3,000 permanent jobs. Lowery envisions the tribe building a health center for tribal members as well.
“I honestly believe this: In 10 years, if we do this right, we’re going to transform this whole region,” he told The Assembly.
With the vote approaching, the Lumbee Nation is currently working to update voter rolls for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Robeson County has one of the state’s highest unemployment rates of 5.7%, and some believe the casino could be a chance to turn that around.
“It will bring in a lot of revenue,” tribal member Marcus Deese said. “It’ll open up job opportunities. It could be a big positive for the tribe.”
More conservative members of the Lumbee have moral objections about bringing in legalized gambling. Lowery said if a casino isn’t approved, the site could be used for an industrial park.
In other tribal gaming news, a loosening of federal stances on tribal casinos is now putting some tribes at odds with each other.
In Maine, legislators legalized online gaming in January through the state’s four federally-recognized tribal groups. However, that has spurred a lawsuit from one of Maine’s two commercial casinos to block the law from going into effect.
