Internet Cafes Returning?
Willoughby Hills, a city in northeast Ohio near Cleveland, is considering a business model proposed by attorneys for Internet cafes. Under this model, a person selects a game to play and then pushes a button that will tell them if they will win or lose. Since the outcome is projected in advance, proponents argue that it is neither a game of skill nor a game of chance. Therefore these games fall outside the gambling laws of the state. And since they fall outside the gambling laws of the state, operators do not have to register with the attorney general’s office. The law director for the city claims that there are approximately 60 of these businesses already in operation. But the city of Willoughby Hills will await for the Bureau of Criminal Investigations and the attorney general’s office to weigh in on the matter.