Mayor Dennis Hanwell said.
Each request to open an Internet cafe will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, he said, in order to weed out businesses that violate Ohio gaming laws.
“We will not permit any that we interpret to (use) gambling devices,” Hanwell said.
He added the process of reviewing cases individually will allow for businesses that operate as an Internet cafe only and do not provide opportunities for gambling.
While there is no legal definition of a sweepstakes or Internet cafe, they are largely known for selling time cards, or phone cards, for customers to use to gamble or play games online to be entered into sweepstakes through the business.
Outlawing all Internet cafes, Hanwell said, would be blanket legislation that would also outlaw legitimate businesses. Examples of machines that would be allowed in the cafes would include games of chance that don’t have a payout and games of skill, Hanwell said.
“I think this is the best approach because it’s a case-by-case analysis,” he said.
He said anyone looking to open an Internet cafe in the city after the moratorium expires on Thanksgiving Day will have to come before the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission.
Law Director Greg Huber said the city has not worked out whether there will be a fee structure for the businesses to operate.
“Probably we’ll require a presentation of the rules and odds that pertain to the software for the Internet cafe computer program,” Huber said.
An expert witness also might be called in to examine the machines to be used in the cafe to determine whether they are legal, he said.
“I haven’t seen any Internet software that doesn’t have a payout that’s pretty high,” Huber said. “If it’s done, it’s a gambling enterprise.”
Source Article
