Conservatives are bewildered by NC Republicans’ sudden love for gambling | Opinion

Republican state lawmakers have done some outrageous things during their 12 years in power, but mostly they’ve been consistently conservative – cutting taxes and regulations, pushing school choice and leaning into right-wing social issues.

That history makes it especially strange that Republican leaders are now going all in on what Bible Belt conservatives once opposed – gambling.

This year, the legislature approved sports and horse race betting and Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper signed it into law. Now Republican leaders are wrangling over whether to add up to four more casinos to the three existing tribal-run casinos. There’s also a push to legalize video gambling machines across the state.

That’s a lot of wagering for a state that only barely approved a lottery in 2005. And it’s especially unusual coming from social conservatives who think public schools are a threat to Christian character but now want more casinos in the Old North State.

More consistent social conservatives are bewildered by the Republican leadership’s conversion on the road to Las Vegas.

“It’s mind-boggling to us,” said John L. Rustin, president and executive director of the North Carolina Family Policy Council, a nonprofit research and education organization that opposes expanding gambling.

Rustin said some Republican lawmakers are swayed by claims from dozens of pro-gambling lobbyists that more gambling will create jobs and generate tax revenue. “The only thing we can chalk it up to is the promise of money,” he said.

Money surely is a factor, but it’s not just about economic development. It’s also about a flood of political contributions coming from donors tied to the gambling industry.

Bob Hall, former executive director of Democracy NC and a longtime campaign funding watchdog, recently released his analysis of political contributions related to gambling.

A news release announcing Hall’s findings said that “during the first half of 2023, while state legislators debated legalizing various forms of gambling and marijuana use, they also collected $530,000 in campaign contributions from political donors tied to those activities.”

And that’s just for six months. Prior to January, Hall reported, lawmakers received $885,000 from a network of video gambling backers, with some of the donations potentially illegally bundled.

Gambling interests also have their lobbyists descending on the General Assembly with the fervor of casino executives wooing high rollers. Hall’s review found that “38 gambling-related businesses and associations – including 29 based outside North Carolina – are paying 71 different lobbyists to promote their agenda this year to 170 state legislators.”

While Republicans are listening to lobbyists and donors, they’ve shut the door on the public. Expanding casino gambling and video poker is being considered in secret. Those opposed have little opportunity to explain the social damage caused by gambling or how the promised economic and tax benefits are mostly a mirage.

This dismissal of the public’s opinion goes beyond huddles in Raleigh. In Rockingham County, one of four counties being considered for a casino, hundreds of residents turned out to oppose the zoning of 192 acres for a possible casino. Nonetheless, Rockingham County commissioners unanimously approved the rezoning.

Given the money and the secrecy around the possible expansion of casinos and the legalization of video gambling parlors, Rustin said many opponents think the changes are “a done deal.” But, he said, “That’s absolutely not the case.” He said his organization is hearing opposition from across the state and there may be organized protests within a week.

Progressives and social conservatives should join forces in opposition to expanding gambling. The social detriments of making gambling too easily accessible are well documented and the negative effects on sound and open government are already starting to show.

This story was originally published September 3, 2023 at 4:30 AM with the headline "Conservatives are bewildered by NC Republicans’ sudden love for gambling | Opinion."