Lumbee Tribe Buys I-95 Land, Opens Door to Eastern North Carolina’s First Casino

Eastern North Carolina could soon be in line for its first casino, and it’s happening in a way unlike anything the state has seen before.

The Lumbee Tribe has purchased roughly 240 acres of land along Interstate 95 in Robeson County, setting the stage for what could become the first casino east of Charlotte. Property records show the tribe paid about $6 million for the undeveloped farmland just south of Lumberton, near where Chicken Road crosses I-95 between the small towns of McDonald and Raynham. 

Federal Recognition Opens the Door to Casino Development In North Carolina

Part of the tract fronts the interstate close to the I-74 interchange, a location that would offer easy access for travelers moving through one of the East Coast’s busiest corridors.

The timing of the purchase is notable. It came as Congress moved last month to grant long-sought federal recognition to the Lumbee Tribe, a milestone that fundamentally changed what economic opportunities are available to the state’s largest Native American group. Until that recognition became official, the Lumbee were barred from operating a casino under North Carolina law.

What happens next is far from decided. Lumbee Chairman John Lowery, who also serves as a state legislator, has made it clear that tribal members will have the final say. A referendum will determine whether the tribe pursues gaming on the site or takes a different development path.

“What form of economic development we take early on in this new era, whether gaming is part of our future or not, will be determined by the will of the Lumbee people,” Lowery said in a video message.

What a Lumbee Casino Could Look Like

If voters approve gambling, Lowery has emphasized that the project would look more like a destination resort than a traditional casino. Concepts discussed so far include:

• A full-scale casino and resort complex
• A shopping outlet aimed at regional visitors
• Entertainment amenities such as a golf course or Top Golf-style facility
• Family-friendly attractions like a water park or similar destination draws
  

If gaming is rejected, the same property would be developed as a business and industrial park intended to attract major employers and long-term investment to the area.

Lowery believes either option would bring substantial economic upside. “Existing laws and policies create powerful incentives for corporations to invest in our community,” he said. “Either of these options can lead to thousands of jobs and be an economic boon, not just for our tribal territory, but for this entire region of the state.”

At present, casino gaming in North Carolina is limited to sites operated by federally recognized tribes in Cherokee, Murphy, and Kings Mountain. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians controls the western properties, while the Catawba Nation has seen rapid growth since opening its Kings Mountain casino in 2021.

Lowery has pointed to those examples as proof of what tribal gaming can generate, calling the Eastern Band an “economic powerhouse” and citing the “transformative growth” of the Catawba in the Charlotte region.

The Lumbee Tribe also plans to place the I-95 property into a federal land trust, along with other holdings such as its headquarters and cultural center in Pembroke. The move would protect the land from eminent domain and provide long-term safeguards as the tribe weighs its next steps.

For now, the future of the site rests with a vote from Lumbee members. But regardless of the outcome, the land purchase signals a major shift, and a new era of economic ambition for eastern North Carolina.

Alex Warren

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