1. Chapter relating to slot machines, as defined in subdivision (d) of Section 330b, if the defendant shows that the slot machine is an antique slot machine and was not operated for gambling purposes while in the defendant's possession. For the purposes of this section, the term 'antique slot machine' means a slot machine that is over 25 years of age.
  2. Video Gaming Applicable Law & Standards Video Gaming Act. The Video Gaming Act (230 ILCS 40) is available online on the Illinois General Assembly website. A hard copy of the Act can be found in the printed Illinois Compiled Statutes (any publisher), which is available at all law.

(1) any so-called “slot machine” or any other machine or mechanical device an essential part of which is a drum or reel with insignia thereon, and (A) which when operated may deliver, as the result of the application of an element of chance, any money or property,.

Introduction to North Carolina Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020

North Carolina slot machine casino gambling consists of two tribal casinos in the Great Smoky Mountains in the western tip of the state.

Tribal-state gaming compacts in North Carolina have established theoretical minimum and maximum payout for their video gaming machines while return statistics are not publicly available.

This post continues my weekly State-By-State Slot Machine Casino Gambling Series, an online resource dedicated to guiding slot machine casino gambler to success. Now in its third year, each weekly post reviews slots gambling in a single U.S. state, territory, or federal district.

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Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in North Carolina*

The minimum legal gambling age in North Carolina depends upon the gambling activity:

  • Land-Based Casinos: 21
  • Poker Rooms: 21
  • Bingo: 18
  • Lottery: 18
  • Pari-Mutuel Wagering: Not available

Video poker machines were once widespread in the state, but 2000’s state regulations limited video poker machines to three per site and banned the installation of new video gaming machines.

In 2007, after nearly a half dozen attempts, the state legislature fully banned commercially-owned video poker machines and video gaming machines.

North Carolina has a single federally-recognized American Indian tribe, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The tribe has built two casinos on its Qualla Boundary lands located in the Great Smoky Mountains.

The type of casino action found at these Indian casinos includes “skill or dexterity” based video slot machines. These tribal casinos offer a variety of table games.

Although owned by the tribe, operation of both casinos is by Harrah’s which, itself, is a brand for Caesars Entertainment. The tribe owns and operates a high-stakes bingo hall.

*The purpose of this section is to inform the public of state gambling laws and how the laws might apply to various forms of gaming. It is not legal advice.

Slot Machine Private Ownership in North Carolina

It is legal to own a slot machine privately in the state of North Carolina if it is 25 years old or older.

Gaming Control Board in North Carolina

Because North Carolina has no commercial casinos or other types of commercial gaming, the state does not have a gaming commission or control board.

Casinos in North Carolina

There are two American Indian tribal casinos in North Carolina. These two casinos are in the Great Smoky Mountains in the western part of the state.

The largest casino in North Carolina is Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort with 3,280 gaming machines.

The second-largest, and only other casino in North Carolina, is Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel with 1,000 gaming machines.

Commercial Casinos in North Carolina

There are no commercial casinos in North Carolina.

Tribal Casinos in North Carolina

The two tribal casinos in North Carolina are:

  1. Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in Whittier found 50 miles west of Asheville.
  2. Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel in Murphy found 109 miles southwest of Asheville.

Other Gambling Establishments

Machine

As an alternative to enjoying North Carolina slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering North Carolina is:

  • North: Virginia Slots
  • East: The Atlantic Ocean
  • South: Georgia Slots and South Carolina Slots
  • West: Tennessee Slots

Each of the links above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. state to North Carolina.

Our North Carolina Slots Facebook Group

Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in North Carolina? If so, join our new North Carolina slots community on Facebook. All you’ll need is a Facebook profile to join this closed Facebook Group freely.

There, you’ll be able to privately share your slots experiences as well as chat with players about slots gambling in North Carolina. Join us!

Payout Returns in North Carolina

The theoretical minimum and maximum payouts set by the tribal-state gaming compact is 83% and 98%.

The tribal casinos in North Carolina, per the same compact, are not required to provide publicly available return statistics.

Summary of North Carolina Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020

North Carolina slot machine casino gambling consists of two tribal casinos in the western tip of the state. While owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Caesars Entertainment operates both tribal casinos.

Further, both tribal casinos have theoretical payout limits of 83% and 98% but do not offer return statistics. Finally, North Carolina’s slot machines must be video games of skill or dexterity.

Annual Progress in North Carolina Slot Machine Casino Gambling

In the last year, there has been no change in the slots gaming industry in North Carolina, excepting disruptions due to our ongoing national crisis.

Related Articles from Professor Slots

Other State-By-State Articles from Professor Slots

  • Previous: New York Slot Machine Casino Gambling
  • Next: North Dakota Slot Machine Casino Gambling

Have fun, be safe, and make good choices!
By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC

Although sports betting is flourishing across the United States, other forms of gambling are still frowned upon. This is particularly true for online casinos, which are only available legally in a handful of states. Despite this, some forms of illegal gambling have become legal through a variety of loopholes.

Video gaming terminals (VGTs) have a bad reputation for their lack of protections for problem gamblers. While sportsbook users can block themselves from online and retail sportsbooks, VGTs don’t link games to individual identities. They can allow anyone to play for unlimited amounts of time, regardless of their propensities for problem gambling. Public opinion has limited the ability of VGTs’ spread.

However, that hasn’t stopped them from creeping around state law to get in front of players. Sometimes VGTs are targeted by state officials, and other times they’re continually pushed to the backburner. Here are a few states that have gambling that’s legal through different loopholes. Each type of gaming is different, but the legal loopholes they exploit share common threads.

Georgia’s Public Slot Machines

Georgia has some of the strictest gambling restrictions in the country. It doesn’t allow commercial casinos or sports betting. Lottery tickets and charitable gaming are all bettors and gamblers will find in Georgia. However, that hasn’t stopped one type of gaming from infiltrating Georgia.

In 2013, Georgia legalized coin-operated amusement machines (COAMs). They’re slot machines that aren’t allowed to pay cash to winners. Winners can only be paid in credits that can buy:

  • In-store merchandise
  • Fuel
  • Lottery Tickets

That seems like a compromise that pleases anti-gambling folks. However, some business owners don’t care about the prohibition of cash prizes. They get a cut of the machine revenue, and they know more players will come to win cash than gas station merchandise. In one operation, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation found five businesses that were paying cash out on their machines, anyway. The GBI arrested two people on felony commercial gambling charges. But the GBI suspects the problem is more widespread than their sting revealed. It’s an ongoing problem.

Ignoring a state’s gambling laws isn’t a loophole like the other two states. However, it’s a clear abuse of Georgia’s gambling laws. Seedy business owners redeeming credits for cash are running unlicensed gambling operations. They probably aren’t worried about problem gamblers, and all the off-the-books money is money that Georgia can’t tax. It’s a clear no-win situation for Georgia.

Missouri’s No-Chance Slots

Missouri’s no-chance slot machines advertise the legal gray area they operate in. These slot machines are available at convenience stores and include stickers that state their rules. The machines show players their chances of winning before the next turn. However, players can’t skip to the next turn. They have to play that turn first.

Slot Machine Laws By State

That means players at no-chance machines aren’t betting on their current spin. They’re betting on the one after.

The machine stickers claim that they’re not illegal gambling machines because they show players their chances of winning that spin. They also quote Missouri’s gambling law and the loophole they’re exploiting. Missouri didn’t fall for that, and the company behind it–ironically named Integrity Vending LLC–lost in court over these machines.

These machines may disappear from Missouri following Integrity Vending’s court loss. However, it’s an important lesson in VGTs that exploit legal loopholes. First, announcing that your company’s product is a loophole is bad business. Second, some states can come down on loophole companies hard and limit their operations. One Missouri county disapproved of these machines, and they were vindicated in court. Barely legal products can be removed from the marketplace.

Illinois’ Gambling Laws And Chicago’s Sweepstakes Machines

Illinois gambling laws are unique. It allows VGTs, but it also allows local municipalities to disallow them. That means VGTs are legal in Illinois but illegal in Chicago. However, Chicago has sweepstakes machines, instead. These sweepstakes are like VGTs, but critical differences let them get around Chicago’s anti-VGT law:

  • Players don’t pay for their first set of free credits
  • Machines award coupons instead of cash

Sweepstakes machine supporters lean on the free credits and the awarded coupons as reasons they’re not VGTs. However, these are clear obfuscations. The machines allow players to buy more credits after their first round of free credits. Players can also redeem those coupons for cash, making them inconvenient VGTs instead of clear exceptions to Chicago’s VGT ban.

Some lawmakers have tried banning sweepstakes machines but failed. Current Mayor Lori Lightfoot introduced a bill to bring a casino to Chicago. However, the bill doesn’t touch the sweepstakes machine issue. Those machines remain in Chicago despite some opposition from some lawmakers.

Slot Machine Laws Illinois

How Video Gaming Terminals Infiltrate States They’re Not Supposed To

Slot Machine Laws By State

There are different ways for VGTs to slip into areas where they’re illegal. Some machines are honest lottery machines that locals abuse in their own ways. Others find loopholes and stress how legal they are in their legal gray area. Others still change rewards and payment terms to create enough distance between the legal definition of a VGT and their machines. Each method is a legal trick to expand VGT territory.

Are Sweepstake Machines VGT?

Sweepstake machines stand out among the VGT crowd as uniquely slippery. They’re not illegal. Their business models really are different from traditional VGT machines. Free currency gives players the chance to win without risk.

However, players get better chances to win if they continue buying credits. The machines may as well award cash if the coupons can be redeemed for cash. A paper slip isn’t enough separation to let the sweepstakes machines off the hook that easily. However they circumvent the law, VGTs can give players a video gaming experience that’s similar to video poker or slots.

Do Sweepstakes Machines Protect Gamblers?

The problem isn’t that they offer these services. But it’s dangerous for them to offer them without oversight and player protection. The state government can impose winning percentages over the lifetime of these machines. It’s how it can guarantee fair odds for the machine’s lifetime. Governments can also provide resources for problem gamblers–assuming they protect gamblers rather than send them resources they can use or ignore. And that’s all before considering tax collections.

Players shouldn’t delude themselves into thinking outlawing VGTs eliminates them. They should be on the lookout for machines that make small changes to themselves to avoid being called VGTs. They often act more like cheap knockoffs of VGTs than the real thing. Players should treat these imitators like lesser entertainment products–if they don’t avoid them altogether.

Slot Machine Laws Wisconsin

See our guide to Responsible Gaming to learn more about problem gambling and available resources.