Bill looks to crack down on sweepstakes parlors - or favor one manufacturer's machine

Some House members were concerned, though, that the bill language would boost a games manufacturer in Georgia by favoring their machines. The company, Primero Games, has lobbied for the measure.

But so has the North Carolina Family Policy Council, which has pushed for years to shut down sweepstakes gaming. The state's sheriffs association supports the bill as well.

The legislation's fate remained unclear early Wednesday afternoon. It failed to clear committee on a tied 13-13 vote, but it may come back to life before the end of the legislative session, which may come as soon as Thursday.

Senate Bill 380 has been through multiple drafts going back to last year. It creates a new felony for anyone who has more than four sweepstakes machines in one place or a single machine connected to the internet.

Sweepstakes games are already illegal in North Carolina, and bill supporters said that won't change under this measure. Legislative staff said the same thing, though a House Rules committee staffer said during debate Wednesday that her team had a hard time following the bill.

Supporters said repeatedly that the bill simply gives law enforcement a new way to enforce the law by charging people with multiple machines with a felony. It would also keep sweepstakes companies from quickly updating their machines via the internet.

The state has tried to outlaw sweepstakes machines for more than a decade, and one of the problems has been that manufacturers update their software and then argue the new software meets state law.

The bill speaks of "autonomous" machines that can't be updated online. House Minority Leader Darren Jackson said Primero makes those machines.

If the bill passes, said Jackson, D-Wake, it makes sense for gas stations and other small businesses to install Primero machines and risk a misdemeanor charge for having fewer than four.

“If we were really serious ... we would make it all a felony," Jackson said.

Bill supporters said they're trying to simplify things for law enforcement so they don't have to be software experts and, in the words of Sen. Jim Perry, R-Wayne, just have to "count to four."