Last year, casino builders from Las Vegas to Baltimore thought they had cracked open North Carolina for at least three new “entertainment centers,” thanks to a plan backed by the uber-powerful Sen. Phil Berger.
But then people living near proposed casino sites pushed back, particularly in Berger’s own Rockingham County. News of the industry’s pay-to-play contributions and secret meetings with politicians made folks even madder. Berger wisely put the plan on hold – but it’s still alive.
Less publicized, the plan also calls for legalizing the video poker industry – putting thousands of gambling machines in gas stations, bars, stores, mini-casino parlors.
