Vending Times reports that Hest Technologies Inc. and International Internet Technologies LLC will seek to appeal last week's anti-sweepstakes videogame ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court. Technically, a petition for a writ of certiorari has been filed with the nation's highest court in Washington.

On Dec. 18, Hest and IIT also filed a motion requesting that the state Supreme Court delay enforcement of its ruling until the U.S. Supreme Court accepted or rejected the case. But the North Carolina high court denied that motion within 24 hours.

Accordingly, law enforcement officers statewide are preparing to begin shutting down the games on Jan. 3, according to local reports. Industry members said the state high court's ruling will shut down hundreds of businesses across North Carolina and obliterate overnight a market estimated to be worth at least $1 billion.

As earlier reported by Vending Times, the NC Supreme Court on Dec. 14 ruled to uphold the constitutionality of a 2010 state law outlawing sweepstakes videogames. | SEE STORY

In March 2012, a state appeals court found the games were a constitutionally protected form of free speech, not gambling. It was this finding that the state Supreme Court overturned last week.