JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -
Internet cafes are located in many shopping centers around our area.
But critics are saying they're too much like casinos, and that they should be illegal.
Internet cafes have become a controversial issue as they have popped up in storefronts across the state in recent years.
It used to be laundry mats then nail salons. Now it seems there's an internet cafe on every corner, and the controversy they create is just as common.
A big suit filed by one of those cafes could settle all that.
"We feel very comfortable that this falls clearly with the sweepstakes law in the state of Florida," attorney Kelly Mathis said.
Mathis represents The Allied Veterans of the World in its lawsuit. They filed in 2010 after authorities in Pinellas, Jackson, Marion and Seminole counties moved to shut down their cafes.
The case was tossed out, but Duval thought about getting rid of them too.
Opponents of the cafes said they are too close to casinos, and that they find the cafes have many similarities to gambling.
The cafes say they offer Internet access, as well as other services to customers.
But the controversy centers on people buying Internet time to take part in computerized sweepstakes games.
The case was tossed out because it was improperly filed against state entities rather than authorities in the counties.
But now, a judge in Tallahasee will see if he should revive the suit, and that could determine whether Internet cafes violate state gambling laws once and for all.
"They now want to try to prohibit anything that looks like or simulates gambling. The appropriate analogy is banning simulated murder or killing on a video screen simply because actually killing somebody is illegal," Mathis said.
Lawmakers have filed at least two bills for the 2012 legislative session that could put the cafes out of business, targeting what the proposals call "simulated gambling devices".
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