Despite a 2013 law banning internet cafes from offering gambling games in Florida, there are reports that internet cafes are making a comeback in the state.
The law was introduced to stop people gambling on terminals in cafes and also some types of amusement redemption games which proved damaging for amusement arcades in Florida.
Now the press in the state is reporting that real estate companies are highlighting a surge in people seeking locations between 1,500 and 3,500 sq.ft for internet cafes and making promises to landlords that they have new policies to conform with the law.
Instead of paying wins by vouchers, they are apparently proposing to use cash and will withhold from using roulette-style spinning wheels on the games. According to the Business Journal “the legal issue is whether or not the machines are gambling or simply a flashy way to tell sweepstakes players whether they have won”.
It continues: “Despite the prevalence of slot machine iconography, cafe operators have long argued that what they do is akin to the McDonald’s Monopoly game, with the casino look and feel simple trappings.”
