Lumbee tribal voters reject casino despite I-95 land deal
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Lumbee tribal members voted Tuesday against a constitutional amendment that would have allowed gaming, dealing a setback to the newly federally recognized tribe's plans for a casino in Robeson County.
Why it matters: A casino along Interstate 95 was pitched as a potential economic game-changer for one of North Carolina's poorest regions.
Driving the news: In a Tuesday election, tribal members rejected a constitutional amendment that would have led to a major casino development.
- Over 62% of the tribe was against the proposal, per unofficial Lumbee Board of Elections results.
- More than 9,200 people voted. The tribe's membership was approaching 50,000 in 2025.
What they're saying: Tribal Chairman John Lowery was disappointed, writing on Facebook after 9pm that the election results were a rejection of progress.
- "We had an opportunity, like so many of our brother and sister tribes, to exercise our sovereign rights to the fullest and generate billions of dollars," Lowery said.
State of play: The tribe spent over $6 million in December on a large plot of land in Robeson County off I-95 near Exit 10, per WRAL.
- It's around 100 miles south of Raleigh — roughly a 90-minute drive.
- The Lumbee Dark Water Resort was already designed. Long-term plans called for hotels, a convention center and a golf course in addition to casinos and shops.
The other side: Some residents who voted "no" questioned the land purchase or expressed skepticism that the proposed constitutional changes go too far.
- Others oppose casinos on moral grounds.
By the numbers: Robeson County, where the Lumbee have long lived, is in one of the most economically challenged regions of the state.
- Its median household income of $42,180 is the lowest among North Carolina's 100 counties, according to the state commerce department.
- Its tax base is the smallest per capita and its 4.97% unemployment rate is the 8th highest among North Carolina counties, per the state.
- Amid the struggling economy, Robeson County's population is shrinking. It dipped 8% in 10 years, even as North Carolina's population grew 11%, according to a 2025 report from the NC Budget & Tax Center.
Zoom in: Advocates for a "yes" vote said a casino would create around 3,000 jobs and allow the tribe to invest in education, health care, housing and public safety.
- They said the tribe must move quickly because "South Carolina is considering allowing commercial casinos along I-95," even though that legislation is stalled and "likely dead," per reports in South Carolina.
- The Lumbee casino would have been 10 miles from the border.
Zoom out: Virginia already has opened five casinos since granting select cities the right to do so in 2022. Two are short drives from North Carolina.
- Live! Virginia is in Petersburg, where I-95 meets I-85, a couple of hours from Raleigh.
- Ceasars Virginia is in Danville, about 60 miles north of Durham.
- The Danville casino was built in partnership with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, who operate two casinos in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Eastern Band was a prominent opponent of Lumbee federal recognition.
Context: Virginia's gambling legalization prompted North Carolina lawmakers in 2023 to consider allowing a few casinos outside of the Native American-run ones in the mountains.
- That effort failed and contributed to the downfall of longtime Senate leader Phil Berger in the spring Republican primary.
What's next: Lowery said he "will not bring the issue forward" in his remaining 18 months in office.
Editors note: This story has been updated with the final vote totals.