North Carolina Casinos Enjoy Support from Over 1 in 2 Residents

According to a poll contracted by NBC affiliate WRAL News in Raleigh, the people of North Carolina seem to be open to seeing Las Vegas-style casino resorts reach the US state.

The public poll that was completed by a New Jersey-based nonpartisan outlet that conducts scientific polls, Survey USA, was aimed at checking the level of support shown for commercial casinos in the state.

The poll involved around 850 adults and took place between March 6-9. The results showed that 55% of residents would either “strongly” or “somewhat” support casinos in rural parts of the state.

Around 28% of the respondents stated they strongly or somewhat opposed the idea of casinos, with the rest of 16% saying they were unsure.

As expected, men were more in favor of casinos, with 61% of them saying they would back the idea.

As for the age brackets, 65% of the residents between the ages of 35 and 49 were in favor of the casino resorts in their state.

The study had a margin of error of around +/-4 points and it is the second recent poll researching the general public’s support for casinos after February’s Meredith Poll from the private women’s liberal arts college in Raleigh.

The study revealed that 57% of likely North Carolinians would be in favor of commercial casinos.

Raleigh Lawmakers Do Not Need Support from the Public

While the public seems to not oppose commercial casinos in the Tar Heel State, Raleigh lawmakers do not need their support to give the green light to commercial casinos in the region.

This is because the North Carolina Constitution does not ban gambling.

In 2023, lawmakers considered legalizing commercial gambling and adding more options to the three tribal casinos, lottery gambling, and online sports betting that are currently available.

State Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger was interested in allowing three commercial casinos in the rural counties of Nash, Rockingham, and Anson.

His attempt failed after fellow GOP lawmakers argued that any deliberation of gaming expansion should be considered separately and not included in the state’s budget bill.