The countywide casino

The following 198 video-poker locations are either listed by the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Department or have been discovered by Xpress reporters. According to Sheriff’s Department records, more than 500 video-poker machines are currently operating in the county, though those records appear highly unreliable.

Based on the listed zip codes, West Asheville is home to the most locations (57) and machines (157). Most sites have three machines — the maximum permitted under state law. But at least five addresses have more than three machines, according to official paperwork. Of the dozens of machines examined by Xpress, only three displayed registration numbers that corresponded to the ones on file. And several machines that otherwise appear to adhere to the law aren’t listed with the Sheriff’s Department at all. Names of all listed locations are as given in Sheriff’s Department reports.

Alexander

The Jupiter Store, Lanning Paint and Body

Arden

Bazooka’s, Boone’s Corner, Brookwood Golf Course, CK #12, Discount Convenience #1, #2, #3 and #4, ET’s Bar, Fast Freddy’s, Garren Amusement, Handy mart, Kounty Line, L&M Trading Post, Leisure Times II, Mike’s This & That, Reflections Sports Bar, Royal Pines Games, Sports Zone, Sweeten Creek Yard Work & Game Room, TD’s

Asheville (downtown)

Eblen #2, Elks, Green’s Mini Mart, Hot Dog King, Playworld USA, Smokey’s Tavern, VJ’s Auto Service

Asheville (east)

CK#13, East Village Grill, Hot Dog King, Mack Kells, Norton’s Grill & Pub, Poncho’s Porch, Quick Trip, Riverside Diner, Trophy Club

Asheville (south)

CK#9, Cue N Spirits, Discount Convenience, Hot Spot, Oakley Food, Polar Bar, Stockyard Cafe, Tapper’s Tavern

Asheville (west)

B&D Bar, Bent Creek Swap Shop, Best Western, Brevard Mini Mart, Brevard Rd. Mini Mart, Burger Bar, C&J Machine Shop, Cap’s Game Room, Carolina Trading Post, Citgo Food Shop, CK #18, Country Kitchen (both locations), Cowboy’s Nitelife, Cross Road Grocery, Debruhl’s Used Cars, Dutch Girl Laundry, Estatica Minerva, Extreme Salon, Fast Break, Fatz Cafe, Flat Rock Tavern, Gas Up, George’s Mini Mart, Grocery Depot, H&B Grocery, Hair Affair, Hairsmith, Headquarters for Leisure, Hot Spot (both locations), Independent Order of Fellows Lodge, Jus 1 Mor, Kathy’s Beauty Salon, Kaycees, Leisure Times, Little Asheville Speedway, Mary Ellen’s Treasures, Mikes, Moose Lodge, Mrs. D’s Beach Bingo, Quick-Trick Store, R&C Used Furniture, Rincon Latino Taqueria, Ron’s, Sand Hill Grocery, Shell Food Mart, Shook’s Tire & Quick Lube, Sky Lanes, Smokey Park Exxon, Soap Box Laundry, Spivey, Starnes Cove Food Store, Sub Station II, Suttles Quick Mart, T&C Laundry, The Yard Sale, Tropical Gardens Mini golf, VFW Post 891

Barnardsville

Big Ivey Fishing Lake, Carson’s Grocery, CK #20, D&D Grocery

Black Mountain

Black Mt. VFW, CK #21, Disount Convenience, Do Drop In, F&J Food Store, Monte Vista Hotel, Squeaky’s, Tar Wheels

Candler

Anderson Electronics, Beaver Dam Body Shop, Bockton’s Foodmart, Boones Corner, C&R Express, Chewy Chews, CK #19, Fast Cash Tools, Fast Stop, Having Fun, Hilltop Grocery, Hot Dog King, Independent News and Video, J&M tobacco, Johnny’s Mobile Home Sales, Lunch Box, Mountain View Drive In, Rice Automotive Repair, The Spot, Totally Cool Ice Cream, Travel Centers of America

Fairview

Brew & Cue Tavern, Fairview General Store, Hot Dog King, Lynn’s Country Crafts, Mountain Variety, Quick Mart, Spivey Fishing Lake

Leicester

Fast Track, Leicester General Store, Rack Em Up, T&L’s New and Used Gifts, The Little Shop, Trading Post Groceries

Swannanoa

Dog House & Dairy Bar, Fire House Grill, Lee’s Food, Little Shop of Treasures, One Stop, Quick Stop Pare, Redmon Service Center, Subway, Swannanoa Bargain House, US 70 Billiards, Ward Lake

Weaverville

Blue Ridge Pawn, CK #16 and #17, Cowboy’s Lounge, David’s Auto Parts, Handy Mart, Louis Lounge, North Buncombe Pawn Shop, Number 1 Towing, Payless Food Mart, Red Dot Convenience Store, Reems Creek Food Mart, Stockton Farm Country, Weaverville Laundry Mat

Woodfin

Blue Ridge Furniture, Greene’s Building Material, Hot Spot, Moma Jean’s Thrift Shop, North Side Grill, Shaky’s

Xpress has been unable to find information (through either the phone book or online search engines) on the following locations listed in Sheriff’s Department files: A Bricky C.O., Big Time Video, Cane Creek Convenience, Charlie’s Game Room, Hagan’s Swap Shop, Handy Pantry #162, Jai’s Tobacco Co., Jim’s Garage, Kandie’s Rainbow Outlet, Kangaroo’s Outback Post, T’s Place, Tara’s, West Asheville Tire

— Cecil Bothwell

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About Cecil Bothwell
A writer for Mountain Xpress since three years before there WAS an MX--back in the days of GreenLine. Former managing editor of the paper, founding editor of the Warren Wilson College environmental journal, Heartstone, member of the national editorial board of the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, publisher of Brave Ulysses Books, radio host of "Blows Against the Empire" on WPVM-LP 103.5 FM, co-author of the best selling guide Finding your way in Asheville. Lives with three cats, macs and cacti. His other car is a canoe. Paints, plays music and for the past five years has been researching and soon to publish a critical biography--Billy Graham: Prince of War:

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