North Carolina Law Banning Video Poker Secures State Gambling Monopoly

The state of North Carolina has lawmakers that follow the same pattern as most others around the country. Make it as hard as possible for anyone outside of the state to make money from gambling outlets.

That was evidenced by a new law that was signed into effect by Governor Mike Easley bans Internet based gambling games that were making their rounds through the states truck stops, restaurants, and convenience stores.

Authorities are holding strong to the notion that these other forms of gambling are hurting families in the state. "We get an awful lot of complaints from the public as far as 'My father, my spouse, they're taking their entire retirement check and spending it in location A on these poker machines,'" said Waynesville Police Chief Bill Hollingsed.

That is an interesting statement considering Legislators were pleased with the state reaching their goal of generating over $350 million from the North Carolina Education Lottery. Attach the word education to a gambling outlet and suddenly it does not seem to matter how much money is being taken from family retirement checks.

"We'd always like more, but the lottery is doing what we have expected," Rep. Bill Owens said back when the lottery figures were released. At the time of the statement he did not reference the hurt that buying gambling lottery tickets could be putting on families financially.

Then there is also the issue of Harrah's Cherokee Casino. They were exempt from the new law that was signed by the governor. So basically, the video poker machines that the state were not getting a piece of the revenues from are damaging to families, but at the ones that the state benefits from, it is accepted to lose retirement money.

"It appears to me that our state legislators want everyone to buy either a lottery ticket or go to Harrah's," said Tom Morgan, president of Mountain Energy. It is wonder that authorities do not quote people like Morgan when detailing gambling in the state.

July 30, 2008
Posted By April Gardner
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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