OH attorney general seeks Internet cafe crackdown
Ohio attorney general asks lawmakers to enact legislation cracking down on Internet cafes
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine wants state lawmakers to crack down on storefront gambling-style operations known as Internet cafes.
DeWine told lawmakers Wednesday he supports an Internet cafe regulation bill sponsored by state Rep. Matt Huffman of Lima.
DeWine says that, without regulation, Ohio's nearly 800 Internet cafes are a rip-off with no guaranteed pay-off. Backers of Internet cafes say state regulations could amount to a ban.
Late last year, the Ohio Senate put off a vote on House-passed Internet cafe regulations, saying there wasn't enough time to consider it.
Customers at the cafes pay for Internet time or phone cards and use them to bet points on computers loaded with games such as poker. Operators say they sell legitimate products with a chance to win a prize.
