JUST UP THE ROAD FROM SENATOR BERGER’S HOME DISTRICT IN DANVILLE, A TEMPORARY CASINO IS ALREADY UP AND RUNNING. THE SENATOR SAYS HE HAS SEEN TOO MANY PEOPLE FROM NORTH CAROLINA SPENDING THEIR MONEY IN VIRGINIA. WHAT IS GOING ON WITH CASINOS AND WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO SEE WITH IT? THE IDEA IS TO CREATE AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFORT THAT WILL WILL SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASE JOBS IN THE COMMUNITY. WE WILL SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASE THE THE LOCAL PROPERTY TAXES. THE PLAN CALLS FOR A MINIMUM OF 1750 JOBS IN ROCKINGHAM COUNTY ALONE, MORE THAN 5200 JOBS AT ALL THREE CASINO LOCATIONS. THE STATE IS LOOKING FOR A DEVELOPER TO INVEST $500 MILLION AT EACH LOCATION IN EXCHANGE FOR THE GAMING RIGHTS. THE DEVELOPMENT WOULD BE MORE THAN JUST A CASINO. SENATOR BERGER SAYS EACH SIDE WOULD INCLUDE A HOTEL, RESTAURANTS, RETAIL SHOPS AND MORE. DO YOU SEE THIS AS A COMPETITOR FOR WHAT’S GOING ON IN DANVILLE? IF I WENT UP TO DANVILLE AND LOOKED AT THE PARKING LOT AND MY GOODNESS, YOU WOULD THINK YOU WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF NORTH CAROLINA BASED ON THE THE TAGS IN THE PARKING LOT. THE ROCKINGHAM COUNTY REPUBLICAN SAYS ONE ESTIMATE SHOWS THE DANVILLE CASINO PULLING IN A QUARTER OF $1 BILLION EACH YEAR FROM NORTH CAROLINA. VISITORS IS ONE OF THE THOUGHTS IS WHY DON’T WE KEEP THEM IN NORTH CAROLINA SO THAT CLEARLY IS PART OF THE CONVERSATION. AND HAS THERE BEEN A HOLD UP IN THE BUDGET TALKS OVER THIS OR NOT? THIS ISSUE IS NOT AN ISSUE THAT’S HOLDING UP THE BUDGET TALKS. BERGER SAYS CASINOS COULD END UP AS PART OF THE BUDGET. ARE YOU HOPING THAT IT WOULD TAKE PLACE THIS YEAR, THIS SESSION? I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US MOVE FORWARD THIS YEAR. NORTH CAROLINA STRUGGLED TO PASS A LOTTERY BACK IN 2005. NOW THE STATE LOOKS TO ADD CASINOS, POSSIBLY VIDEO GAMBLING, TO GO ALONG WITH SPORTS BETTING. LAWMAKERS HAS ALREADY APPROVED. BERGER SAYS PUBLIC ATTITUDES ABOUT GAMBLING ARE CHANGING, INCLUDING HIS OWN. HE SAYS HE VOTED AGAINST THE LOTTERY BACK IN 2005. DID YOU HAVE A PERSONAL EPIPHANY OR HOW DID YOU EVENTUALLY BECOME A SUPPORTER OF GAMING? AND I DON’T KNOW IF IT WAS A PERSONAL EPIPHANY. I THINK IT WAS MORE LISTENING TO PEOPLE AND WEIGHING THE VARIOUS PLUSES AND MINUSES AND SEEING, AT LEAST IN MY OPINION AT THIS TIME, THAT THE PLUSES CLEARLY OUTWEIGH THE MINUSES. THE SENATOR SAYS THE CASINO DISCUSSION IS NOT HOLDING UP THE BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS IN RALEIGH. HE OFFERED US NO INSIGHT AS TO WHEN THOSE BUDGET TALKS MAY FINALLY BE OVER HERE IN ROCKINGHAM COUNTY. I’M BILL O’NEIL, WXII 12 NEWS. SENATOR BERGER SAYS IF THE CASINO PLAN MOVES FORWARD, ROCKINGHAM COUNT