GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 1999
Finance Committee Substitute Adopted 6/27/00
Third Edition Engrossed 6/29/00
Short Title: Video Poker Machines Illegal. (Public)
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AN ACT TO MAKE POSSESSION OF VIDEO POKER AND OTHER VIDEO GAME MACHINES IN NORTH CAROLINA UNLAWFUL.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1. Chapter 14 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 14-306.1. Types of machines and devices prohibited by law; penalties.
(a) Notwithstanding G.S. 14-306, it shall be unlawful for any person to keep on that person's premises or to operate or permit to be kept on that person's premises any video game machine on which any of the following games are played by depositing a coin, credit card, or debit card, or by any other means which would effectuate payment to activate the game:
(1) A video poker game or any other kind of video card game.
(2) A video bingo game.
(3) A video craps game.
(4) A video keno game.
(5) A video lotto game.
(6) A video game that involves matching different pictures, words, numbers, or symbols.
This section shall not apply to assemblers, manufacturers, and transporters of the prohibited machines and devices who assemble, manufacture, and transport them for sale in another state as long as the machines, while located in this state, cannot be used to play the prohibited games.
(b) Any person violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be fined not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000).
A second or subsequent violation of this section is a Class I felony.
A person violating the provisions of this section involving the operation or having caused the operation of 10 or more machines prohibited by this section shall be guilty of a Class G felony.
This section does not make unlawful or against public policy anything which on July 1, 2000 was lawful for any federally recognized Indian Tribe under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act."
Section 2. G.S. 14-298 reads as rewritten:
"§ 14-298. Gaming tables, illegal punchboards and slot machines to be destroyed by police officers.
All sheriffs and officers of police are hereby authorized and
directed, on information made to them on oath that any gaming table prohibited
to be used by G.S. 14-289 through 14-300, or
any illegal punchboard or illegal slot machine
machine, or any video game machine prohibited to be used by G.S.
14-306.1, is in the possession or use of any person within the limits of
their jurisdiction, to destroy the same by every means in their power; and they
shall call to their aid all the good citizens of the county, if necessary, to
effect its destruction."
Section 3. This act becomes effective December 1, 2000.