The game had a measurement called the “return to player calculation,” where 97%-99% of the players’ money was returned to them in cash.Īn expert the companies hired said Ocean Fish King is a game of skill because it depends on player dexterity. Players cannot rely on knowledge or strategy to improve thus it was a game of chance.

For example, five shots could destroy a certain-size fish at one point in the game, and one shot to destroy it later in the game. However, there was no pattern to destroying the fish. Two companies, Fun Arcade and Barracuda Ventures, were appealing a trial court decision in favor of chiefs of police in Hickory and Conover.Īn expert hired by the police chiefs determined that the video screen was so crowded with fish, that it was hard to miss hitting one. The object of the game is to use a joystick to shoot fish moving around a video screen. The latest state Appeals Court decision centers on a game called Ocean Fish King. Law enforcement in Catawba County has been fighting businesses featuring fish tables for years. Businesses that make money from fish game players say that these are games of skill, not chance. In these games, players shoot images of fish swimming across video screens. In response, gaming companies tinkered with rules and software in efforts to get around the prohibitions. The legislature has passed several laws since 2000 to limit - and then ban - video poker and electronic sweepstakes. As North Carolina legislators consider expanding casino gambling beyond those owned by American Indian tribes, the latest chapter in the years-long court battles over electronic sweepstakes in the state ended this week with a loss for gaming companies operating in Catawba County.

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