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Florida Internet Cafes: Legal In City, Illegal In County

At least six internet cafes are operating in St. Augustine, Florida. They’re legal in the city but not in St. Johns County where St. Augustine is located. St. Augustine Police Department Assistant Chief Anthony Cuthbert said, “We’re just monitoring the legal landscape to see if anything comes out of that. For now, from what we can, tell they’re operating legally.”

AD Tallahassee police arrested four people on gambling charges and seized cash and equipment in an internet cafe raid. Officers on Tuesday served a search warrant at the Fun Arcade, 1164 Capital.

St. Augustine was the base of Allied Veterans of the World, which operated internet cafes throughout Florida. In 2013 law enforcement arrested dozens of AVW owners and associates for money laundering and racketeering. The Florida legislature banned the cafes, causing hundreds to shut down.

Internet Cafe Gambling Florida Keys

St. Augustine City Attorney Isabelle Lopez said internet cafes are reviewed for zoning and building code compliance, like any other business. She said operators understand they could be investigated for hosting illegal gambling and having their machines seized by prosecutors.

“We’ve chosen not to attempt to get into the regulation of gambling, as that is a very complex field right now,” she said. “The state of Florida determines what is or isn’t a gambling establishment. I know a lot of people see internet cafes as gambling dens, and technically if they are comporting with the very peculiar requirements of state statute, they are not deemed gambling. They are sweepstakes, oftentimes set up as legal sweepstakes, regulated by Florida law.”

Oct 16, 2019 A lawyer for three businesses operating internet cafes argued the ban illegally violated free-speech rights by restricting video games central to the cafes, but U.S. District Judge Brian Davis was. Dec 04, 2020 Internet cafes are back, and they have a tangled history in Florida. Debates have raged at the local and state levels over their legality and various definitions (what does 'commercial gaming device' mean, exactly?), while frequently changing state laws attempt to keep pace with changing technology.

She added, “The compliance of whether or not you are truly a sweepstakes or a gambling facility has to do with the way the computer programs are set up. And that requires a tremendous amount of resources, so typically those things are handled by the attorney general or the Florida Department of Law Enforcement through a major inter-jurisdictional sweep.”

City Planning and Building Department Director David Birchim said the city doesn’t define internet cafes, so zoning for the difference between them and coffee shops that offer internet access is a problem.

In St. Johns County, no permits or permit renewals have been issued since state law changed following the Allied Veterans of the World investigation, said County spokesman Michael Ryan. The number of internet cafes dropped from 21 to one, Lucky Louie’s, and ″that business is operating without a business permit in St. Johns County,” Ryan said. The county has issued 32 citations, from $118 to $268, against Lucky Louie’s for operating without a business permit. The county also took the business to court, where a judge withheld adjudication and issued a fine, Ryan said.

The county does not get involved in whether a business is involved in gambling. “That’s a state-regulated business. That’s why we’ve been in touch with the state attorney’s office,” Ryan said.

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ORMOND BEACH, Fla. — Businesses in Ormond Beach have been shut down after Volusia County investigators say there was illegal gambling activity happening inside them.

• 'The Spot' and 'The Hot Spot' accused of illegal gambling activity
• Both were forced to close, deputies seized equipment from inside
• Investigators will be examining the equipment

On Tuesday, Volusia County Sheriff’s Office deputies removed big machines from 'the Spot' internet cafe on 1220 Hand Avenue, and 'the Hot Spot' on 1230 Hand Avenue.

Both internet cafes were forced to close, and authorities issued cease and desist orders as a result of previous investigations.

Investigators believe there was illegal gambling happening at these businesses, and they say there’s also been violence in the past, including armed robberies.

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This isn’t first time deputies with Volusia County Sheriff's Office have removed machines from internet cafes. Last year, more than 15 locations in the county were shut down.

No arrests have been made at this time. The equipment seized by deputies will be forensically examined, according to the Sheriff’s Office in a news release.

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The investigation is active and ongoing.