Rep. Earl Jones called a news conference Tuesday to announce his longshot effort to legalize and regulate video gambling has new endorsements.
The Black Caucus and the State Employees Association of North Carolina support the bill, which would take for the state 20 cents for every dollar spent on video poker machines. Dropping video gambling machines in bars, convenience stores and other establishments across the state could raise nearly $500 million in new revenue, Jones said.
And perhaps anticpating arguments about proliferating gambling across the state, Jones repeatedly stated his opinion that video gaming is no different than the lottery.
"Gambling activity is gambling activity, whether you're talking about a video lottery or a scratch-off ticket," said Jones, a Greensboro Democrat.
Dana Cope, present of SEANC, which represents 55,000 public employees, said the new revenue would allow the state to continue to provide needed services.
"North Carolina's government made this decision. We as a public made this decision when we voted to support the lottery in North Carolina," Cope said. "This is just the natural progression to regulate this industry to get that revenue income into the coffers of the state."
Video poker machines have left a legacy of corruption in the state. William Thevaos, president of the Entertainment Group of North Carolina, said the fact that the industry wants regulation and taxation shows that things will be different.
"We want to be taxed. We want to be legal," Thevaos said. "We want to create a new industry and we want to work with the state."
More after the jump.
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The state banned the machines in 2006. A recent court ruling found the state's ban unconstitutional. Other judges have upheld the rights of "sweepstakes" games — de-facto video gambling — to operate.
"If people are going to do this allow them to do it, and allow them to do it legal and help our economy," said Rep. Earline Parmon, a Winston-Salem Democrat.
Jones' bill would divert the new revenue to at-risk schools.
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Re: Jones: video gaming just like lottery
I feel like a partisan fighter in the second world war, popping up and taking small-time shots at you in various and sundry threads; its like you'll never know where I'll show up next.
I'll stop, Box Goshington, but only because we are liable to be related, especially given where Quick Cheks are located, and where I'm from.
Actually, I just remembered I stopped in at a Quick Chek the other day to buy a pack of smokes. Who pays attention to those store names anyways...Quick Chek, Handee Hugos, 4/3/2 Brothers, etc.