Some fear legalizing sports betting at Cherokee casinos will spread it across NC

Wagering on college and professional sports and on horse races would become legal at casinos run by the Eastern Band of the Cherokee in western North Carolina under a proposal state lawmakers are considering.
Posted 4/5/2019, 10:38:28 PM

DEAL WITH CHINA LIFTING WALL

STREET TODAY THE DOW CLIMBING

40 POINT THE NASDAQ GAINING

ALMOST 47 AND THE S AND P 500

ENDING THE DAY UP 13.

THE STATE SENATE WILL VOTE NEXT

WEEK TO CHANGE THE STATE

GAMBLING LAW, THE BILL WOULD

ALLOW SPORTS BETTING AND OFF-

TRACK HORSE RACE BETTING ON

INDIAN LAND, STATE LAWMAKERS

DIVIDED OVER WHETHER IT IS A

GOOD IDEA.

THE CAPITAL BUREAU CHIEF LAURA

LESLIE JOINS US NOW WITH A LOOK

AT THE DEBATE.

>> SUPPORTERS SAY THE CHANGE

MAKES SENSE CASINOS IN NEVADA

AND NEW JERSEY CAN OFFER

GAMBLERS A CHANCE TO VOTE ON

SPORTS OR HORSE RACES AND A LOT

OF PEOPLE DO IT ONLINE ANYWAY.

BUT, OPPONENTS SAY IT NEEDS

MORE CASINOS IN MORE PLACES AND

MORE PROBLEMS FOR COMMUNITIES

AROUND THEM.>> UNDER CURRENT

LAW THE STATES TO EXISTING

INDIAN CASINOS OUT WEST, CAN

OFFER TABLE GAMES AND SLOT

MACHINES.

THE BILL ALLOWING THEM TO OFFER

BETTING ON SPORTS AND HORSE

RACES AS WELL.

IT WOULD ONLY APPLY ON TRIBAL

LAND.

SENATOR RALPH HYDE SAYS THAT

THE CHEROKEE ASKED FOR THE

CHANGE AFTER THE UNITED STATES

SUPREME COURT LAST YEAR

THROUGHOUT A FEDERAL BAN ON

SPORTS BETTING.

HE SAID THAT THE TRIBE IS A

SOVEREIGN NATION AND HAS THE

RIGHT TO DO WHAT IT WANTS.

>> I WOULD BE EXPOSED TO

EXPANDING GAMING ANYWHERE IN

NORTH CAROLINA BUT I DO

RECOGNIZE WHO THE TRIBE IS,

WHAT THEY ARE, AND, IT HAS BEEN

A GREAT IMPACT TO WESTERN NORTH

CAROLINA, BUT AT THE SAME TIME

THEY GET TO DO WITH THE

CONSEQUENCES OF THE CHOICES

THAT THEY MAKE.

>>> SENATOR SANDERSON FROM

EASTERN CAROLINA IS WORRIED

THAT THE CHANGE COULD LEAD TO

MORE CASINOS BECAUSE THERE

WOULD BE MORE PROFIT.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE TRIBE IN SOUTH

CAROLINA HAS BEEN TRYING FOR

YEARS TO BUILD A CASINO ON LAND

THAT IT OWNS NEAR CHARLOTTE.

>> SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM, BAR,

TELUS, ARE PUSHING FOR THAT FOR

AN OUTSIDE TRIBE TO COME IN AND

BUY LAND IN NORTH CAROLINA, AND

SET UP THEIR OWN GAMBLING

STATUTES AND I THINK THAT IF

THAT WERE TO GO THROUGH, WE

WOULD HAVE LAID THE FOUNDATION

FOR A LOT OF TRIBES, TO COME

IN, AND DO THE SAME THING.

>> SANDERSON DOES NOT SUPPORT

GAMBLING BUT, HE POINTED OUT

THAT BILLS HAVE ALSO BEEN FILED

TO MAKE SPORTS BETTING LEGALLY

NORTH CAROLINA, IN GENERAL.

>> NOT ONLY HOW THE GENERAL

ASSEMBLY IS GOING TO JUSTIFY,

© WRAL