NC Development Holdings has requested that 192 acres in Rockingham County, North Carolina be rezoned for possible casino development, according to a WRAL local news report. The holding company is registered at the same address as The Cordish Cos., a gaming developer based in Baltimore.
NC Development representatives have not disclosed the purpose of having the acreage rezoned, local news said.
Local resident B.J. Rierson told WRAL and the Rockingham County Planning Board that he believes NC Development is keeping its intentions quiet because nearby landowners have voiced that they do not want a casino in the area.
He said, “I think it’s supposed to hush-hush what they’re putting in there. We don’t want it.”
Meanwhile, state legislators continue to discuss whether several new casinos should be built within North Carolina’s borders.
The state recently legalized sports wagering after Governor Roy Cooper signed House Bill 347, a sports betting and horseracing bill, into law inside the Charlotte Spectrum Center.
The new law will take effect until next year and states, "sports wagering shall not be authorized in the state until a date identified by the [Lottery] Commission, which shall occur as soon as practicable and may be no later than twelve months after the date this act becomes law."
Part of the state’s motivation to approve regulated betting was because of pre-existing gambling throughout the state, as well as the opportunity to provide a safe space for an already present market.
State lawmakers and lobbyists have brought up increased casino activity across state borders as a compelling reason to allow for casino construction in North Carolina.
