With Bipartisan Support, Bill Moves Closer to Passing N.C. House of Representatives

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The N.C. House of Representatives' Appropriations Committee adopted a strict package of video gaming reforms today that will strengthen regulation of the industry and increase law enforcement efforts across North Carolina. The legislation (Senate Bill 6) received strong bipartisan support to pass the committee.


Next, the bill moves to the floor of the N.C. House of Representatives for final approval.


"North Carolina needs to crack down on illegal video gaming operators, and this legislation represents a serious commitment to achieving that goal. By centralizing law enforcement efforts and generating additional revenue to fund increased oversight of video gaming operators, North Carolina is moving in the right direction," said Rep. Bill Culpepper, a bill sponsor.


Steve Henderson, a representative for the N.C. Amusement Machine Association and owner of Operators Distributing in Archdale, N.C., said the reform legislation will preserve thousands of jobs across North Carolina.


"The N.C. House of Representatives is taking strong action to clean up the video gaming industry, while protecting hundreds of small business owners who operate legal amusement businesses," Henderson said. "We welcome the new regulations and hope the entire House approves the legislation."


The video gaming reforms proposed in Senate Bill 6 will significantly strengthen existing video gaming regulations, centralize law enforcement responsibilities with the N.C. division of Alcohol Law Enforcement (A.L.E.) and impose an annual tax of $300 per machine to fund increased law enforcement efforts.


Under the legislation, all video gaming machines in North Carolina must be re-registered with A.L.E. and affixed with a permanent serial number and self- destructing sticker to enable law enforcement officers to easily identify legal and illegal machines. Owners of all illegal machines will be assessed a $5,000 tax.


Source: North Carolina Amusement Machine Association

CONTACT: Joyce Fitzpatrick, +1-919-247-4400, or grafitz@aol.com , or
Robert Brown, +1-919-810-1901, or robert@rbpr.com , both for the North
Carolina Amusement Machine Association

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