Supreme Court refuses sweepstakes stay

By Mark Binker

Posted: December 20, 2012

Raleigh, N.C. — The state Supreme Court has denied sweepstakes manufacturers a stay of an order that makes the gambling-like games illegal.

Last week, the court rules that a state law banning the games was legal. Unless the ruling is overturned, law enforcement agencies plan to begin enforcement on Jan. 3.

On Tuesday, lawyers for International Internet Technologies asked the state Supreme Court to delay enforcement while they appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The state Supreme Court has turned down that request, so right now there are no legal obstacles to enforcement beginning on Jan. 3.

"Our client plans to seek a stay of the North Carolina Supreme Court’s recent ruling from the United States Supreme Court and to petition for a writ of certiorari," said Adam Charnes, a lawyer for the company with Kilpatrick Townsend. "The positive economic impact and thousands of jobs provided by the industry deserve nothing less than for us to explore all legal avenues to protect them and we will continue to do so moving forward.”

14 Comments

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How can NC say what SweepStakes locations do is illegal and this is not? Or is this our "LoopHole"? http://youtu.be/zCMvvS1S0ow

ncsweepstakes
December 21, 2012 3:26 p.m.

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Come Jan. there will be some county's LEO taking action (those with resources) while others may delay for a few months to see what the US appeals court does. This is what happen last time.

Rebelyell55
December 21, 2012 10:07 a.m.

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"Or, more likely, demanding higher protection payments. Click to view my profile " (piene2)

You are confusing the police with Jim Black. He does try to keep it subtle by meeting up in bathrooms. whatelseisnew"

How strange that my original comment is gone. Never the less the sweepstakes people will simply switch to a new format as they have done before. I wish them all the good luck there is.

piene2
December 21, 2012 8:56 a.m.

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I've said from beginnig that there seems to be no differance between the state lottery and video sweepstakes games . Either way it's gambling and you pay for a chance to win . So ,why ban one and not the other ? Many counties have counted on the tax on the machines ( $ 500 or so per console ) to help their budgets . So that's gone as well as the jobs created by the business . It's a bad ruling !

dsjackson
December 20, 2012 7:30 p.m.

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An opportunity missed by the state, yet they spend million for the gas company....SMH

Rebelyell55
December 20, 2012 5:41 p.m.

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More people being put out of work for doing nothing wrong. Just giving people a place to hang out, spend money and harm no one. The state just hasn't found a way to profit from the sweepstakes. Lottery is gambling, like the sweepstakes it a game of chance. No skill involved.

iron fist
December 20, 2012 5:39 p.m.

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ok, so lets take jobs from all these people & income from the owners family, so we can blame the president for the high unemployment rate, sounds real smart to me!

cgulley
December 20, 2012 4:58 p.m.

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Stop by on your way home at the ABC store and buy some state sold liquor.

superman
December 20, 2012 4:56 p.m.

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"Or, more likely, demanding higher protection payments. Click to view my profile "

You are confusing the police with Jim Black. He does try to keep it subtle by meeting up in bathrooms.

whatelseisnew
December 20, 2012 4:50 p.m.

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"Good! The sooner these kind of people are gone the better! NC lets you have a lottery to waste money on from your check..what more do you want!"

Since the Dems objected to these machines, they should never have put the lottery in place. But they will leave no wallet or purse unturned in their mission to seize every possible dollar so they can waste it.

whatelseisnew
December 20, 2012 4:49 p.m.

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