The North Carolina General Assembly banned internet sweepstakes more than four years ago.  The North Carolina Supreme Court upheld that ban more than two years ago.  A few months later that court struck down excessive municipal privilege license taxes … Read more

Just over a year ago the North Carolina Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of G.S. 14-306.4, the law that was intended to ban all video and internet sweepstakes parlors.  My colleagues and I blogged about the ruling here, here, and … Read more

Were I a gambler, I would not have bet on this result.  No, I don’t mean Duke’s glorious trouncing of the Tar Heels on Saturday night.  I mean last Friday’s surprising ruling from the North Carolina Supreme Court that Lumberton’s … Read more

It took more than two years, but the ban on video sweepstakes that was originally scheduled to take effect in December 2010 is finally enforceable.   The North Carolina Supreme Court ruled on December 14, 2012, that the ban did not … Read more

If you are looking for a last-minute holiday gift for someone at this time of year, you may want to forego purchasing your friend or relative a gift card at the local video sweepstakes operation (VSO). That gift card may … Read more

[Update: In 2013 the Court of Appeals reversed its opinion in the Fayetteville case discussed below based on a related N.C. Supreme Court opinion.  See this blog post for more details.] The N.C. Court of Appeals celebrated tax day a few weeks later … Read more

Regulating video gaming and gambling of one sort or another has vexed state and local governments in North Carolina for the better part of two decades. A recent court opinion held the current version of the state’s ban on internet … Read more

[Update:  In 2013 the N.C. Supreme Court reversed the Court of Appeals decision discussed below.  See this blog post for more details.] In the first of three decisions we are expecting on internet sweepstakes, the N.C. Court of Appeals ruled … Read more

[Update:  The ban on internet sweepstakes became law when Gov. Perdue signed H.B. 80 on July 20. The ban was upheld by the N.C. Supreme Court in late 2012.  See this blog post for more details. ] The General Assembly moved … Read more

Given the gaming industry’s aggressive litigation strategy against criminal sanctions, it seemed only a matter of time before internet sweepstakes operators responded similarly to the growing number of municipal privilege license taxes imposed on their businesses.  That time has arrived.   In late April lawyers for … Read more