Gambling industry meddling in NC primaries?
It’s looking that way.
You may remember that we had quite a hullabaloo in the NC General Assembly about establishing new casinos outside Indian territory across North Carolina. It’s been a big issue for senator Phil Berger in his on-going hotly contested primary race.
Starting off, let’s take a look at this item:
DraftKings and FanDuel have emerged as significant federal political donors ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. This is a sharp shift from the industry’s traditional focus on state-level politics. Federal Election Commission filings released last week showed both companies had already committed millions of dollars, with giving spread across parties but weighted toward Republican-aligned groups.
The increased spending came as online sports betting operators face heightened scrutiny over gambling harm, athlete betting scandals, and growing attention from federal lawmakers.
DraftKings made its largest contribution last December, donating $500,000 to the Senate Leadership Fund, a Republican-aligned Super PAC focused on maintaining Senate control. The company, listed under DK Crown Holdings Inc., did not contribute to the Democratic-aligned Senate Majority PAC.
DraftKings also provided $2 million to Win For America, a newly formed PAC created in November 2025. That group later transferred $500,000 to the American Conservative Fund and $450,000 to American Future PAC, with the latter appearing positioned to support Democrats based on its consultants and public messaging.
Before this cycle, DraftKings’ federal political spending was limited. Since its founding in 2012, its only prior contribution was $500,000 to the 2024 Republican National Convention. It did not donate to the Democratic National Convention and also contributed $502,000 to Donald Trump’s 2025 inaugural committee. […]
Okay. So, according to this article, $2 million went to Win For America. Then, Win For America reportedly transferred $500,000 to something called the American Conservative Fund.
Up north in Rockingham County, we’ve seen THIS ad promoting Phil Berger making the rounds on the airwaves:
Here’s the small-print disclaimer at the bottom of the screen:
“American Conservative Fund paid for and is responsible for the content of this advertising.”
*Hmmm. Interesting.*
Let’s move over to NC House District 51 centered primarily on Lee and Moore counties. The seat is being vacated by Republican John Sauls. There is a contested GOP primary. Check out what is being circulated to the voters of that district:
Again, “Paid for by American Conservative Fund.”
These are the two cases we’ve been told about. There are bound to be more. Let us know if either Win For America or American Conservative Fund is showing up in your races.
