Goodbye Internet Cafes

[cityimrov]

Competent adults should be free to voluntarily gamble with other adults and not be treated like children by the government.

I kinda agree with this. Gambling is just like Cigarettes, Alcohol & Tattoos....If people want to do it let them.

There's just one tiny little problem.  Who pays when these people get in trouble?

[Cheshire Cat]

Today the slot machines used by internet cafes have officially been banned.

With no pomp-and-circumstance, Gov. Rick Scott Wednesday signed legislation that would outlaw machines used by gaming centers operated by St. Augustine-based Allied Veterans of the World, which is at the heart of a federal investigation.

The signature comes less than a month after the announcement of a six-year investigation by several agencies, including the IRS and Secret Service, into Allied Veterans. Gaming centers operated by the group offered internet time, but its machines also offered electronic machine-style games.

Investigators say the group used the machines to raise $300 million, but only gave 3 percent of that to the veterans charities they claimed to help.

Since the investigation was unveiled, doing away with the gaming centers, commonly referred to as internet cafes, has been a high-profile issue in Tallahassee. It’s rare that legislation is passed so soon after being filed.

Scott praised the move before pivoting to his other priorities.

"The Legislature did the right thing to crack down on illegal gaming operators," he said in a statement. "We look forward to turning our focus back on jobs and education in this session."

Because his Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll resigned in the wake of the Allied Veterans investigation, the issue was a sensitive one for his office. The Clay County Republican gave up her post because she had done consulting work for Allied Veterans in the past

http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/403455/matt-dixon/2013-04-10/rick-scott-signs-gaming-center-ban

[ChriswUfGator]

In most cases, they're nothing more than personal computers...

[Cheshire Cat]

In most cases, they're nothing more than personal computers...

The machines?  Not sure what you are saying here. 

[ChriswUfGator]

In most cases, they're nothing more than personal computers...

The machines?  Not sure what you are saying here. 

These things are generally just PC's running software that simulates a slot machine image or whatever other visual you want it to have. The actual workings have a set win ratio, and everything is preselected in advance, rather than an actual game of chance. The machine itself is the same thing you can buy at office depot or best buy. I guess I'm a little unclear as to how it constitutes a slot machine. I paid $3.99 for an app that lets me play solitaire on my ipad, it simulates a card game obviously, and technically I paid money to play it, under this new statute I'd probably have broken the law. Just saying. I guess we have reached the point where we have to ban a simulated vice...

[Cheshire Cat]

In most cases, they're nothing more than personal computers...

The machines?  Not sure what you are saying here. 

These things are generally just PC's running software that simulates a slot machine image or whatever other visual you want it to have. The actual workings have a set win ratio, and everything is preselected in advance, rather than an actual game of chance. The machine itself is the same thing you can buy at office depot or best buy. I guess I'm a little unclear as to how it constitutes a slot machine. I paid $3.99 for an app that lets me play solitaire on my ipad, it simulates a card game obviously, and technically I paid money to play it, under this new statute I'd probably have broken the law. Just saying. I guess we have reached the point where we have to ban a simulated vice...

That is interesting to know.  I had no idea. 

[urbanlibertarian]

Gambling is going to happen.  Laws like these just push it into the shadows and enrich criminals.

[urbanlibertarian]

I think they used the Allied Veterans fraudulent and politically corrupt computerized sweepstakes to outlaw the non-fraudulent or politically corrupt computerized sweepstakes.

[If_I_Loved_you]

I think they used the Allied Veterans fraudulent and politically corrupt computerized sweepstakes to outlaw the non-fraudulent or politically corrupt computerized sweepstakes.

+ 1000

[PeeJayEss]

We just passed the law closing the loophole for gambling at the sweepstakes. What's next on the docket. Bill to introduce full-scale state-revenue-generating casinos to close budget shortfalls.

You can't call yourself a proponent of small government if you are for this extension of the law. Sure, these were seedy, boring places accepting money from old people, operating in the gray area of the law. But it is a stupid, morality-based (illegality of gambling, how is it anything else?), hypocritical (lottery, dog track, etc etc) law.

[Debbie Thompson]

We just passed the law closing the loophole for gambling at the sweepstakes. What's next on the docket. Bill to introduce full-scale state-revenue-generating casinos to close budget shortfalls.

We kind of already have that.  It's called the Florida Lottery.  It  was "sold" to the voting public as funds to "enhance" education.  But the lottery bill didn't promise it would be used for what it was being touted for.  I voted against it for that reason.  A lot of people didn't do their due diligence.   

[Tacachale]

Gambling is already legal, it's just heavily regulated. The idea there is to get folks who want to gamble into law abiding, tax-generating establishments. The argument here is that (in addition to their business practices) these cafes crossed the dodgy line between a McDonalds-style sweepstakes and actual gambling - without submitting to the same regulations as, say, Best Bet Poker, the dog tracks, Indian casinos, the state lotto, etc.

However, to me the fact that this legislation is passed says that in the eyes of the state the practice wasn't illegal before now. It kind of hurts a lot of the arguments against them.

[Cheshire Cat]

Gambling is already legal, it's just heavily regulated. The idea there is to get folks who want to gamble into law abiding, tax-generating establishments. The argument here is that (in addition to their business practices) these cafes crossed the dodgy line between a McDonalds-style sweepstakes and actual gambling - without submitting to the same regulations as, say, Best Bet Poker, the dog tracks, Indian casinos, the state lotto, etc.

However, to me the fact that this legislation is passed says that in the eyes of the state the practice wasn't illegal before now. It kind of hurts a lot of the arguments against them.

This is the small matter of millions upon millions of dollars collected under the guise that they were to be used to help Veterans but in reality went to the private pockets of some clever schemers, some of them in positions of public trust.  This is what really brought the house down and as a result created the fast action in Tallahassee.  The legal crackdown along with questions about the Lt. Governor Carroll's put all of this on the fast track to shutdown.  In reality the issue of whether to allow or not allow gambling in the state and at what level is really another discussion. 

[urbanlibertarian]

Gambling is already legal, it's just heavily regulated. The idea there is to get folks who want to gamble into law abiding, tax-generating establishments. The argument here is that (in addition to their business practices) these cafes crossed the dodgy line between a McDonalds-style sweepstakes and actual gambling - without submitting to the same regulations as, say, Best Bet Poker, the dog tracks, Indian casinos, the state lotto, etc.

However, to me the fact that this legislation is passed says that in the eyes of the state the practice wasn't illegal before now. It kind of hurts a lot of the arguments against them.

I know it was reported that Allied Veterans didn't register with the state as a sweepstakes like McDonalds, etc have to do but is that true of all the internet cafes?

[urbanlibertarian]

Gambling is already legal, it's just heavily regulated. The idea there is to get folks who want to gamble into law abiding, tax-generating establishments. The argument here is that (in addition to their business practices) these cafes crossed the dodgy line between a McDonalds-style sweepstakes and actual gambling - without submitting to the same regulations as, say, Best Bet Poker, the dog tracks, Indian casinos, the state lotto, etc.

However, to me the fact that this legislation is passed says that in the eyes of the state the practice wasn't illegal before now. It kind of hurts a lot of the arguments against them.

This is the small matter of millions upon millions of dollars collected under the guise that they were to be used to help Veterans but in reality went to the private pockets of some clever schemers, some of them in positions of public trust.  This is what really brought the house down and as a result created the fast action in Tallahassee.  The public crackdown along with questions about the Lt. Governor Carroll put all of this on the fast track to shutdown.  In reality the issue of whether to allow or not allow gambling in the state and at what level is really another discussion. 

Ok.  Then is it fair or reasonable to say that all internet cafes were operated fraudulently like Allied Veterans?  Should they all have been shut down because of what Allied Veterans did?