“I guarantee you,” Mayfield said, “the tribes would fight that tooth and nail.”Ĭasino gambling is currently allowed in North Carolina only on tribal lands. “When you think of Asheville, you think of food, music, the environment, local art, downtown Art Deco, the river,” Mayfield said. Julie Mayfield, a Buncombe Democrat, speculated that Asheville would “not welcome” a casino. Sarah Crawford, a Democrat representing Wake County who co-sponsored the sports betting bill while in the Senate, said, “I’m not sure if I’m ready to call a gateway, but I think it definitely can help open up the conversations for other types of sports gaming.” “I just can’t imagine North Carolina allowing nine casinos, but you know, these kinds of things have a life to them, and when you win a couple of preliminary rounds, maybe you could get there.” John Ager, a Buncombe Democrat who stepped down in 2022 after four terms in the House. “I think that if sports betting passes that there’ll be an effort to go to the next step,” said former Rep. For North Carolina Health News After being held up for months by the General Assembly’s…
