A move to ban internet cafes from running a sweepstakes dodge to operate gambling games in the US state of Florida could have unfortunate consequences for the state’s amusement centres.
On Friday of last week (March 22), the Florida House of Representatives approved a move to change the wording used to describe gambling machines. The move was to close a loophole that permitted internet cafes to run free gambling games under the sweepstakes laws – the player only paying for time.
With Senate committee members due to debate the proposals today (March 28), customers and operators of amusement arcades began to organise protest marches against any wording that would impact the arcades. Worried operators point out that the crackdown on gambling through internet cafes could also impact their games because the proposed wording outlaws machines accepting bills or smart cards and could not award gift cards or prizes reckoned to be worth more than 75 cents in value.
The loophole, which has seen sweepstakes gaming prosper, may ‘throw the baby out with the bathwater’ in that it could have an unintended backlash on the state’s legitimate and tax-paying amusement centres that rely heavily on redemption games. The bill in its present form could also impact video games and pinballs by limiting the number of free credits permitted.
Currently, some operators use cashless card systems, notably Dave & Buster’s and Chuck E. Cheese’s, as well as FECs in the state; none of them would be allowed to use card readers.
Florida has an estimated 1,000 internet café locations being used as gambling locations through the sweepstakes loophole. There are about 220 legitimate amusement centres.
