Lone Vote Fails to Stop NC Video Poker Ban

One vote against the North Carolina bill to ban video poker machines did nothing to stop it from passing recently as the legislators voted Monday to approve the bill. The ban, which has been building a head of steam for years, championed by the NC Sheriffs' Association, will take complete effect next year, after a phasing out process that some say was implemented to save face for House Speaker Jim Black, who has stood in the way of previous incarnations of this bill.Now that the bill has passed the House, it will go to the desk of Gov. Mike Easley. A spokeswoman for the Governor said he will sign it into law, a law that will have the number of machines at any one location gradually reduced from three to none by July 1st of next year.