TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Some Florida House Republicans are calling for a ban on Internet cafes, which have sprung up all around the state.
A House committee voted Tuesday in favor of bill to ban the cafes, which offer electronic sweepstakes entries to customers. Critics charge they are a form of illegal gambling and call the Internet cafes storefront casinos.
But the bill is starkly different from other legislative proposals also under consideration. A Senate bill authorizing three large casinos includes a provision that would regulate an estimated 1,000 Internet cafes but not ban them.
Several Democrats on the House Business and Consumer Affairs subcommittee voted against the ban on Internet cafes, saying it would lead to a loss of jobs. An estimated 13 people work on average at each café.
Source: Associated Press
