Only retailers with state Alcoholic Beverage Control licenses to sell liquor, either to-go or in-person, could host machines. Retailers – $1,000 per location, plus $150 per terminalĪll machines would have to be connected to a central monitoring system, and they couldn't be within 1,000 feet of a school or a church.Operators – $24,000 a year, plus $150 a machine.Licensees would pay the following annual fees: 25 percent to merchants who have the machines in their businesses.35 percent to 'operators' who own or lease machines.No more than 8 percent to the North Carolina Education Lottery for monitoring and enforcement.The bill sets up a tiered system of machine manufacturers, owners and merchants, along with a revenue split:

Jason Saine, R-Lincoln, who made the motion to move this bill through the House Commerce committee, said legalization should dry up underground demand. Tim Moffitt, R-Henderson, who said he'd work on getting an answer. '(It only creates) a large number of additional machines.”Īsked after the meeting for more information, Warren said he doesn't do interviews, and he referred questions to co-sponsoring Rep. “This bill doesn’t eliminate the machines that are already there,' Eddie Caldwell, the association's lobbyist in Raleigh, said. The North Carolina Sheriffs' Association, which opposes the bill, quickly pushed back. Harry Warren, R-Rowan, told lawmakers the video lottery bill should cut sweepstakes machines in the state by 65 to 70 percent. A bill to legalize sports betting cleared the state Senate earlier this month and is awaiting action in the House. It's a second major legislative effort this year in the gambling arena. Supporters said the bill would raise tax revenue for the state, and they added $2 million a year to the bill Tuesday for historically black colleges and universities in the state and created a community college scholarship program – enticements for lawmakers who might otherwise oppose the bill.

Video lottery terminal vs slot machine