Real Property (Land and Buildings) on Tribal Trust Land: No taxes regardless of ownership But all buildings on tribal land and all personal property owned by tribal members would be exempt. So too would be any other personal property used in hotels and restaurants on tribal land and owned by non-tribal members. Those thousands of shiny new slot machines leased from non-tribal gaming companies are likely taxable. In my view, the only taxable property on tribal land is personal property owned by non-tribal members. But in light of recent new federal court decisions on the issue and the expected growth in our state’s tribal casinos, I thought counties would benefit from some updated guidance. Department of Revenue have offered varying opinions about property taxes on tribal lands multiple times over the past fifty years. Can local governments at least benefit from increased property tax revenues? How about local governments? They don’t get a cut of the gambling money, but there’s a heck of a lot of property value in these casinos. There’s obviously money to be made here both for the tribes and for the state, which takes a slice of the gambling proceeds. In eastern North Carolina, the Lumbees continue to work toward federal recognition that could open the door for tribal casinos along I-95. The Catawba Indian Nation is seeking federal and state permission to build a huge casino just outside of Charlotte that would be 50% larger than Harrah’s Cherokee Resort. Other tribes may soon get in on the action. The new casino will be only about half the size of the Cherokee facility, but that still means 1,200 slot machines and 300-plus hotel rooms. Later this year, the Cherokee will open another casino on tribal land outside of Murphy, North Carolina.

Operated by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, the complex attracted 3 million visitors and generated over $500 million in gambling revenue in 2013. With more than 1,100 hotel rooms, 3,800 slot machines, and 150,000 square feet of gambling space, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and Resort is one of the twenty largest casinos in the world. Gambling is a big business in North Carolina, and it’s about to get bigger. 2015-262 now excludes from local property taxes all property sited on land held in trust for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, effective for the 2016 tax year and beyond.

North carolina casinos