A woman and her daughter have been charged with running an illegal video poker operation in North Carolina. According to media reports, Carole Lynn Hopkins, 53, and her daughter, Heather Lynn Hopkins, 31, both of Statesville, N.C., USA, were each charged last week by Iredell County sheriffs with operating video gaming machines and allowing gambling in a public house.

On January 31, sheriffs executed search warrants at four locations in Statesville, culminating a month-long investigation that revealed patrons were paying to play video poker at the locations and were receiving cash payments for winning hands, the media reports said.

Seized at the four locations were a total of 16 video poker machines, the media reports said.

Also seized were several guns and an unspecified amount of cash, the media reports said.

The Hopkinses owed the four establishments where the video poker machines were located, the media reports said.

The pair were released from custody after each posted $300 bail, the media reports said.

(E-mail Tom Somach at tomsomach@yahoo.com.)=A0