Source: WRAL
The North Carolina Senate overwhelmingly approved legislation Monday to shutter hundreds of new businesses that bill supporters argue are offering just another form of illegal video poker where people buy phone or Internet time, then play games on computer screens to win cash and prizes.
By a vote of 47-1, the chamber continued its long history of opposing video gambling, this time through electronic and computer-based devices springing up at new “sweepstakes cafes” or “business centers.”
North Carolina Senate leaders, sheriffs and Christian groups say the sweepstakes games are an end-run around the state’s 2006 video poker ban. A series of pending court cases where the illegality of the machines has been questioned has led to the new law attempting to tighten the ban.
The number of such locations statewide has soared in recent months to about 600, according to Sen. Josh Stein, D-Wake, who is shepherding the bill through the Senate.
The state needs to “make crystal clear once and for all that running an Internet sweepstakes casino violates North Carolina laws,” Stein said. He added that they are “popping up in strip malls, targeting low-income communities across our state.” More
The government just wants to make money.
Bridget how dare you! The government always knows what is best for you!
I am currently working at an internet sweepstakes cafe, I love working there I meet alot of different people. We are not preying on the low income like everyone says, we are located in a Walmart shopping center. Alot of people that come in get on the internet, the most popular sites are job searches, myspace, facebook, and hotmail. I think it would be a mistake to close these business down, I think they should tax us and use that money for the community. With the economy these days alot of people will be out of jobs and right now the government is running out of funding for unemployment. I believe the money that would be taken out on a tax would be even greater than the money that is distributed out of the education lottery. Only 8% of that money goes to better our schools, and since the education lottery makes so much money then why are our teachers getting laid off and the schools needing funding? The money that would come out of internet sweepstakes would have a bigger impact than that and I think it would be absolutely crazy for them not to regulate sweepstakes.