A Lament at the Current State of Gambling in North Carolina
The state of North Carolina is situated on the Eastern seaboard bordered by the Atlantic Ocean coast line, and shares its borders with Virginia, Tennessee and South Carolina. With a population approaching nine million, and an economy based largely on agriculture, the lot South Carolinians could be better, as their income is well within the lower bracket of average salaries in the United States. Despite that fact, the state of North Carolina has a few other claims to fame that are considerably more auspicious. One of them is that North Carolina was one of the original thirteen colonies; originally British that broke away and formed a rebellion against Colonial rule, and were signatories to the declaration of independence on July 4th 1776. At the end of the American Civil War in 1861, North Carolina was the last of the confederate states to secede to the Union.
Another very significant piece of history that took place within the boundaries of North Carolina was the first heavier than air flight that was engine powered. The primitive aircraft, piloted by the Wright brothers, Wilbur and Orville took off and landed at a site called Kitty Hawk on December 17th 1903. The site has become a form of holy shrine to lovers of flight and innovation ever since. The history of North Carolina and the famous sites which are part of the states history as well as that of all the United States, and the World attracts many tens of thousands of tourist every year. Unfortunately, for the residents of North Carolina, as well as its many visitors, time has stood still as far as the state’s legislature attitude to any forms of gambling and casino gambling in particular.
As in many other states, particularly on the East Coast, most of the casinos are confined to Native Americans, which mean that in all of the state of North Carolina you will only find one casino, and a pretty small one at that. There are only video games and slot machines available on the Casino floor. This owners and operators are restricted at this stage and for the foreseeable future, to this level of gaming action. Understandably this limitation does not bring too many gamblers to the table. Instead they prefer to travel north to New Jersey or New York state where there is more than enough live casino action for them to handle, including the favorite table games such as blackjack, roulette or craps. North Carolinians love their poker, and in the North East cost casinos they will find tables full of Texas hold’em players to test their skills and experience against.
For those who don’t want to travel, or only once in a while, there is the very relevant alternative of online gaming. Online gaming has been available for a few years already, and is developing and becoming more popular all the time. Players never have to leave the comfort, warmth and security of their own home, and there is no table game, no slot game or even a Texas hold’em tournament that can’t be played online. Today with 3d graphics technology, wide screen high definition plasma screen televisions, there are many that say that it is even better than the real thing.
North Carolina, like so many of the more conservative states in the east coast, the south and the mid west are missing out on an opportunity to earn vital tax income and create jobs by ignoring the inevitability of a simple fact. Many Americans love to gamble in casinos and are prepared to travel a long way to do so. So why not keep the money in the state.