GOP leaders have discussed specific counties that could receive a casino, particularly Rockingham, which Berger represents in the Senate, and Anson and Nash counties, but the legislation doesn’t mention any of those counties by name. Legislation provided to The News & Observer by the office of state Senate leader Phil Berger, which was first reported on Saturday by CBS 17, would authorize four new casinos in the state: three in rural counties that meet certain criteria, including having a population of less than 100,000 and being located near a major transportation corridor and international airport, and a fourth to be operated by the Lumbee tribe in southeastern North Carolina. After months of closed-door talks over a proposal to authorize more casinos in North Carolina, the top Republican in the Senate has released a copy of the legislation laying out how the expansion would work.
