Lumbee Tribe Eyes Casino Opportunities Despite Members’ Earlier Opposition

A few months ago, Lumbee Tribe members rejected the idea of casino gaming in a referendum. However, tribe officials are still considering casino opportunities, despite early claims that they would abide by the vote. An Earlier Casino Proposal Failed The Lumbee Tribe is North Carolina’s largest tribe, which gained federal recognition only recently. A few months after its long-overdue recognition by Congress, the Lumbee tribe started exploring gaming opportunities, hoping to capitalize on the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). Per a proposal submitted by tribe officials, the Lumbee tribe would have developed a casino in Robeson County. The measure was submitted to the tribe’s 55,000 members, with 9,000 of them participating in the vote. Members, however, ended up rejecting the idea of tribal casino gaming, with 63% of voters casting their votes against the proposition. Many of those who voted against the casino amendment cited concerns that the tribal chair would get too much authority and argued that the tribe is moving too quickly after gaining recognition. Others were morally apprehensive about the idea of running casino gaming on religious grounds. While tribal chair John Lowery had previously stated that the results of the vote would be absolute, the Tribal Council is now exploring new ways to get a casino project going. The Tribal Council Is Not Ready to Give Up Shortly after the aforementioned vote, Tribal Council members voted 17-1 to encourage general counsel Joshua Malcolm to explore any and all legal pathways for a tribal casino and hospitality project. Council members insisted that the results of the June vote should not be interpreted as an absolute rejection of casino gaming. They asserted that some of the tribal members who voted against the casino project were actually opposed to the amendment itself rather than the idea of having a tribal casino. As a result, the council is now considering asking the Lumbee Supreme Court to make tribal constitution-related clarifications and determine if there is another legal way to get a casino project running. In the meantime, the Tribal Council’s Constitution and Ordinance Committee has now drafted a new gaming ordinance. The committee is now seeking members’ feedback on the new motion. Tribal citizens can therefore submit written responses and share their thoughts on the proposed ordinance.