Lumbee Tribe Weighs Casino Plan After I-95 Land Buy

The Lumbee Tribe has quietly made a big real estate move that could reshape eastern North Carolina’s gaming landscape. 

According to property records, the tribe recently purchased around 240 acres along Interstate 95 in Robeson County. The land could eventually become home to the state’s first casino east of Charlotte.

The timing of the $6 million deal is equally important, with the purchase occurring around the same time Congress voted to grant the Lumbee Tribe long-sought federal recognition. 

The Lumbee People Will Decide

The purchase covers undeveloped farmland just south of Lumberton, where Chicken Road meets I-95 near the small communities of McDonald and Raynham. Part of the property sits directly along the interstate, close to the I-74 interchange, offering easy access for travelers moving through the region.

What happens next is far from settled. Lumbee Chairman John Lowery, who also serves in the state legislature, says the decision will ultimately rest with tribal members. 

“What form of economic development we take early on in this new era, whether gaming is part of our future or not, will be determined by the will of the Lumbee people,” he said in a video message last week.

In case voters decide to show support for a casino, Lowery explained the venue would offer much more than slot machines. Namely, it would be a resort-style gambling venue that could include “a shopping outlet and additional amenities, such as a golf course, a Top Golf-style facility, a water park or similar attractions.” 

If the tribe decides against a casino, the land would instead be developed as a business and industrial park.

Positive Outcomes, Either Way

According to Lowery, both options would trigger important economic gains. “Existing laws and policies create powerful incentives for corporations to invest in our community,” he argued. “Either of these options can lead to thousands of jobs and be an economic boon, not just for our tribal territory, but for this entire region of the state.”

For now, casino gaming in North Carolina is limited to properties operated by federally recognized tribes in Cherokee, Murphy, and Kings Mountain. Until Congress acted, the Lumbee Tribe held recognition only at the state level, which prevented it from legally running a casino.

Lowery says the newly acquired land, along with other Lumbee properties such as the tribe’s headquarters and cultural center in Pembroke, will soon be placed into a federal land trust, a status that will provide it with “critical protections that safeguard our long-term interests.”

Looking around, Lowery pointed to examples of what tribal gaming can bring, with special emphasis on the “economic powerhouse that the Eastern Band (of Cherokee Indians) has become” in the west and the “transformative growth” of the Catawba tribe in the Metrolina part of the state.