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An influential GOP donor has asked North Carolina lawmakers to reject any attempts to expand gambling in the state.
Bob Luddy sent out an open letter to state senators on Tuesday. The businessman founded a handful of independent schools in the Triangle area and owns and founded CaptiveAire systems, a leading manufacturer of commercial kitchen ventilation systems in North America with over 2000 employees and 120 sales offices nationwide.
The state is currently home to three tribal run casinos. Some lawmakers want more. North Carolinians can also bet on sports via their mobile devices. It is one of the least restrictive states in the U.S. when it comes to sports wagering.
“Casino gambling corrupts everything it touches and creates long-term costs for law enforcement, Medicaid and families,” Luddy said in a statement. “I am asking lawmakers to refuse casino money and stand with voters who do not want gambling in North Carolina.”
In the letter, Luddy claimed the state’s economic success stems from low taxes, school choice and a “hospitable” environment for business expansion and jobs.
Casinos would undermine that success, he said.
Lawmakers have previously considered a bill to add up to 4 new casinos (Anson, Nash, Rockingham counties + Lumbee tribal land). That proposal failed to pass, but it’s widely expected to come back in future sessions.
Luddy publicly opposed the reelection bid of Republican Senate Leader Phil Berger, who supported a casino project in his home district. Berger would go on to lose the primary election last month to Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page.
Luddy and his wife Maria each contributed $6,400 — the maximum allowed — to Page’s campaign in January 2026, in a sharp departure from the past. For many years, Luddy, a supporter of school choice and vouchers, had supported Berger.
Durham's ABC11 WTVD i-Team this week found a rise in teen gambling both statewide and throughout the nation.
"Over the past few years, we've seen a big uptick in the amount of online gambling by young people, particularly young boys here in the United States," said Jim Steyer, CEO of Common Sense Media.
NC health officials say gambling is already widespread among young people in North Carolina.
Kelly Crosbie is the assistant secretary for mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance use services at the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. She says survey data shows significant participation.
"Almost 28% of young people in North Carolina say they've gambled. That's huge," Crosbie said.
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
