Governor Bev Perdue says she has not yet ruled out the possibility of asking lawmakers to legalize and regulate internet gambling.
Speaking to reporters today, Perdue said she doesn’t like the idea of video poker parlors, but she has considered the possibility of legalizing them. She pointed out that lawmakers have been trying unsuccessfully to get rid of the games for years. And with the state’s dire budget outlook, she’s not yet prepared to rule out a potential source of revenue:
"If you’re going to have it, it has to be controlled, it has to be, I believe, regulated, there has to be a revenue stream that we can look at, there has to be guarantees that people who are risking their money are at least having an opportunity of reward, just like a lottery."
Perdue says she’s not philosophically opposed to gambling – she did cast the tiebreaking vote that created the state lottery. She says West Virginia has legalized the games under its state lottery. But she hasn’t decided yet whether North Carolina should do the same.