NC high court allows electronic gaming convictions to stand

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — North Carolina’s highest court has allowed two electronic gaming convictions to stand in a decision that authorities say will strengthen their ability to shut down illegal gambling operations.

Attorney General Roy Cooper said Friday that the state Supreme Court has denied the defendants’ request to have justices hear their case. That means their convictions are upheld under a 2014 appeals court ruling.

The owner and manager of an Internet café in Tabor City were convicted in 2013 of operating electronics sweepstakes games in violation of a state ban.

Cooper said the high court’s order affirms investigators’ authority to “go after illegal gambling operations in their communities.”

Lawmakers first banned video poker and other electronic gambling in 2006, but operators have adapted their games and fought in court to stay open.

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