COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Owners of Ohio storefront gambling-style operations known as Internet cafes want to press their case against state regulations that could amount to a ban.
The group called the Internet Cafe Coalition of Ohio has launched a website and will organize owners to lobby state lawmakers.
Last month the president of the Ohio Senate put off a vote on a House-passed bill regulating Internet cafes, saying there was too little time to consider the measure.
The House-passed bill would have shut down nearly all of the estimated 800 sites by narrowly defining what counts as a sweepstake.
Opponents say the Internet cafe computer games that operate like slot machines with cash prizes amount to illegal gambling.
Online: http://www.internetcafecoalition.com/
