A North Carolina judge has thrown out the state’s ban on video poker machines.

The Associated Press reported the ban was issued Thursday and says the state can't ban video gaming machines while also allowing the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to operate the same games on their lands within the state.

According to the AP, the ruling won't lead to the immediate return of the machines because the order won't take effect while state files an expected appeal.

One of the main reasons the machines were banned in North Carolina is because state sheriffs had long complained, saying it was too hard to weed out those that illegally offered large cash payouts.