MONROE — City Council approved legislation Tuesday that put tight restrictions and heavy financial disincentives on Internet gambling cafes if they wish to open in the city.
These cyber-cafes, officially known as “entertainment device arcades,” are quasi-gambling establishments where patrons buy an Internet access card that acts as the entry point to a lottery sweepstakes. No cyber-cafes currently are open in the city. Several local governments throughout the state, including Mason, Liberty Twp. and West Chester Twp., have already enacted similar restrictions. The Ohio General Assembly also is in the process of debating the merits of such facilities and the possibility of enacting state-wide restrictions on them.
Opponents of the Internet gambling cafes worry they will attract unsavory clientele and increase crime.
Monroe’s new ordinance calls for the establishment of a three-member regulatory board to oversee the cyber-cafes. The board would be composed of the mayor, city manager and city finance director. Each cyber-cafe would also have to pay a $3,500 licensing fee as well as a $200 semi-annual fee for each machine in the premises. These fees are less than what Mason charges ($5,000 per year plus $30 a month).
The ordinance will not apply to “Video Lottery Terminals’ an exemption made to exclude any potential “racino” (raceway casino) from falling under the ordinance’s purview.
Councilman Steve Black said he had previously lived in South Carolina where cyber-cafes were unregulated and saw many issues develop because of the facilities.
“I saw some of the issues with these types of businesses and if we are to allow them here, we need to be very strict about what they can and cannot do,” Black said. “When I lived in South Carolina and saw these facilities, I had wished they had more regulations to look out for the benefits of the citizens.”
Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4544 or jmcclelland@coxohio.com.
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