North Carolina's Skill Games Found Illegitimate by State's Appellate Court
In a recent ruling on June 23, 2025, the North Carolina Court of Appeals has determined that skill games, marketed as sweepstakes kiosks, are illegal under the state's law. The ruling was a 2-1 decision, with judges Toby Hampton and April Wood siding with Robeson County law enforcement.
The games, which function similarly to Las Vegas slot machines but incorporate elements of skill, have been a contentious issue in North Carolina. They are designed to allow players to theoretically improve their odds through skill elements, but the court concluded that the end result is based on chance.
Judge Jefferson Griffin dissented from the appellate panel, arguing that skill games comply with the law. He stated that the Plaintiff's system elevates skill over chance by utilizing a finite prize pool from which losing entries are exhausted and potentially returned to a participant through the adequate exercise of skill. However, his argument was not enough to overturn the majority decision.
The ruling comes amidst ongoing efforts to bring commercial casinos to North Carolina. Last year, state Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) championed a push to authorise casinos in rural counties. However, backroom dealings, which included providing Baltimore-based Cordish Companies with exclusive privileges to build casino resorts in Rockingham, Anson, and Nash counties, caused significant backlash from local leaders, the public, and many state lawmakers in Raleigh.
Despite the ruling against skill games, efforts to legalise commercial casinos in North Carolina are expected to resume during the 2025 session of the General Assembly on Jan. 8.
It is important to note that this ruling does not provide an update on the status of skill games in North Carolina following the Court of Appeals decision. For precise, up-to-date information, direct sources like North Carolina’s legal filings, gaming commission statements, or recent court documents would be necessary.
North Carolina's gambling landscape as of mid-2025 includes the operation of a lottery, charitable gaming, and tribal casinos in Harrah's Cherokee, Harrah's Cherokee Valley River in Murphy, and Catawba Two Kings Casino in Kings Mountain. However, the state has no legal commercial casinos, sports betting, online gaming, or parimutuel wagering.
If a spin loses, the No Limit Games products allow the player to play a memory game that can keep their wager alive, further blurring the lines between chance and skill. The ruling and the ongoing debate about skill games in North Carolina underscore the complexity of gambling legislation in the state.
- The North Carolina Court of Appeals has declared that skill games, marketed as sweepstakes kiosks, are illegal under the state's law, following a 2-1 decision by judges Toby Hampton and April Wood.
- Skill games, which resemble Las Vegas slot machines but incorporate elements of skill, have been a subject of contention in North Carolina politics, as they are designed to allow players to potentially improve their odds through skill elements, but the court has concluded that the outcome is largely based on chance.
- Despite the recent ruling against skill games, the push to legalize commercial casinos in North Carolina is anticipated to continue during the 2025 session of the General Assembly, scheduled for January 8.
- The ongoing controversy surrounding skill games in North Carolina highlights the intricate nature of gambling legislation in the state, as the No Limit Games products offer a memory game to maintain a losing wager, further clouding the distinction between chance and skill.
