Legal Gambling Venues Sue to Block Illegal Competition

Operators of licensed dog tracks and poker rooms are upset about Internet cafes trying to skirt laws against slot machine gambling, and are suing to shut down the gray-area businesses.

Jacksonville Greyhound Racing, which operates both dog tracks and poker rooms, has filed suit against the owners of a series of Internet cafes, claiming the businesses conduct illegal slot machine gambling. The racing operator wants laws enforced against slot gambling in its county, saying the cafes siphon off customers who would otherwise gamble at tracks.

Internet cafes across the US have frequently been linked with slot gaming, as the machines provided often host gaming with rewards and payments made at the cafes. Buying time at the cafes gives patrons a chance to win more time; and extra time can be cashed in, essentially giving players a gambling proposition.

"Close down and declare illegal what we understand to be illegal gambling activities," said Michael Freed, attorney for the racing company.

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum has offered an opinion that Internet cafes operating in a reward fashion based on chance are illegal gambling operations. The cafes purport to simply rent Internet time, but Freed says that's not the real business.

"You may be able to go in there and purchase and utilize Internet time but that's a small or almost non-existent portion of what is happening," the lawyer told WOKV-TV.

Freed wants to see the cafes closed, and enforcement of laws against such gambling raised.