What “Not Authorized” Means on NCSlots

NCSlots separates not authorized from prohibited because the two labels carry different evidentiary burdens.

Not authorized

We use not authorized when a reviewed record does not establish a current North Carolina authorization for the product, operator, or activity described. It is a conservative status: the available sources do not support calling the activity authorized in North Carolina.

Not authorized does not automatically mean that every related activity is prohibited. The product, jurisdiction, location, and source date still matter.

Prohibited

We reserve prohibited for a record supported by a source that makes the stronger conclusion appropriate. The label should identify the relevant rule or authority rather than rely on a general impression or a commercial claim.

Under review

Some records remain unpublished while sources are being checked, reconciled, or reviewed. A pending record should not appear in public answer cards or the verified-only endpoint.

What changes a status

An editor may update a record when a current source changes the answer, the governing authority changes, or a previously uncertain point is resolved. The update should preserve the source trail, verification date, and reason for the change.

The reader’s checklist

The exact product or activity being described.
The jurisdiction and location conditions.
The source link and last-verified date.
Whether the record is verified, pending, not authorized, or prohibited.

Disclosure: NCSlots status labels are an editorial evidence treatment, not a substitute for legal advice.

Update log

2026-08-04 – Rechecked the status vocabulary and related source-backed explainers.

2026-08-03 – Initial draft created to document the checker’s conservative status vocabulary.