North Carolina Lawmakers Haggle Over Video Gambling Laws

Convenience stores in North Carolina have added video gambling machines in the hopes of beating the tough economy. Lawmakers believe that the machines are illegal and are trying to close loopholes in the law that allow these machines to be operated.

Legislators are preparing legislation that would be more strict against games of chance. Their dilemma, however, is how to word the law so that places like McDonald's do not get banned from running their monopoly game promotion.

"The laws as they are currently written allow convenience stores and other businesses to operate these video gambling machines," said observer Mark Salmons, "They are selling Internet time that allows people to go online and play games of chance for prizes."

That is the area that lawmakers are trying to close down. Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand is leading the effort to tighten gambling laws, and Representative Ray Rapp also had a Bill up for discussion, but he has pulled it.

Rapp cited the economic troubles that retailers are having as the reason he has shelved his Bill. In the future, however, he plans on re-introducing the Bill and ridding the state of the video gaming machines.

May 3, 2009
Posted By Tom Jones
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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