Still others argue lottery revenue is unreliable and should not go toward basic government services, such as teaching children. A lottery bill has been filed in the state House, but so far legislators have not debated it. It's a tough issue, though. People come here with their own ideas and feelings. And it's not along party lines.
Gaming spreads North Carolina is the nation's most populous state without a lottery.
Thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia sponsor a game. Not too long ago, no states in the deeply conservative Southeast held a lottery. In 1988, voters in Florida and Virginia passed lotteries. Louisiana, Georgia and Texas have each added a lottery, too. The expansion could continue.