Toward the back, two men sat at a long table above an embedded video screen. Lights flashed and bells rang above games that resembled slot machines. Inside, the arcade looked a lot like a mini casino.
One such arcade boasted a big red 'Arcade' sign over blacked-out windows inside a strip mall on North Tryon Street. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police have warned operators they might be breaking the law.īut none of that makes much difference for some local arcades around Charlotte that continue to operate as normal and openly advertise their games.
Some law enforcement agencies say they're illegal, and a recent court ruling reinforced that games of chance aren't allowed in North Carolina outside of a few locations on tribal land and the state lottery - even if their owners say some level of skill is required. Drive around Charlotte and you'll see neon-splashed, casino-like arcades advertising something called the 'fish game' in shopping centers, many in low-income areas, across the city.
