That the Halifax County Sheriff's Office, the City County Drug Task Force and state Alcohol Law Enforcement have to investigate two businesses which have reopened is a waste of taxpayer dollars and officer talent and effort.

In 2012 we editorialized the state Supreme Court appointed itself and North Carolina lawmakers the moral compass of its people when it upheld a ban on Internet sweepstakes games.

We renew our argument today with the news we reported earlier this morning two businesses have reopened.

Law enforcement shouldn't have to trifle with babysitting the state's ill-conceived notion these establishments are somehow undermining its own gambling industry called the North Carolina State Education Lottery and these businesses are somehow more corruptible than its own legalized gambling operation.

There are several things government should not be in the business of — dictating how people spend their money, what they do in the privacy of their own home and what God or gods they choose to worship.

There has been very little trouble with these businesses since they first began cropping up several years ago and we believe the state knows this.

While no one has actually said it, we believe the only reason the state is going after these businesses is because it feels they are somehow going to impact the lottery.

Gambling is big business, whether through legal gambling websites, backyard card games or traveling to Cherokee, Dover, Atlantic City or elsewhere to do with your money what you see fit.

As the state strips away more and more dollars from local governments, it has been shortsighted in realizing the best way to regulate these businesses is not to shut them down, but to take a share of the money by setting per machine fees on them rather than depriving someone the right to gamble.

A state money grab on these machines is control enough because in our view there was never anything wrong with them from the start, other than cries from people who feel the need to micromanage our lives, our pocketbooks and wallets.

The most interesting aspect of the Supreme Court ruling was its admission legislative findings couldn't conclude what these businesses are doing constitutes illegal gambling.

Instead of putting an end to this snipe hunt, however, the court backed misguided lawmakers who see the establishments as a threat to the public.

That speaks volumes to the recklessness Raleigh deals with some issues.

And our belief is if that's the way you want to live your life, having the government infiltrate every aspect of it, then by all means support the state and its witch hunt against these establishments and the machines housed in them.

If you respect the establishments which are doing no more harm than taking money away from people who should be free to be spend it how they see fit, then demand the state stop this witch hunt and make it admit they have blundered — Editor