Sweepstakes cafes were all the rage in the early 2010s. A law enacted in 2013 seemingly put them out of business by banning cash prizes. 2013 and 2014 saw a statewide crackdown on these illegal gambling establishments. In 2014 the Ohio General Assembly gave the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) ... Read More
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Contact Us Tag: Internet cafes
16
Oct2018
As part of an ongoing investigation into illegal gambling in Ohio, the Ohio Casino Control Commission and local law enforcement executed dozens of search and seizure warrants in Summit, Cuyahoga, Lorain, Erie, Stark and Ottawa counties. Ten secret indictments were unsealed. All of the individuals were indicted on charges of engaging in ... Read More
October 16, 2018ogadmin
21
May2015
Richmond Heights, a city near Euclid, in Cuyahoga County, has changed its zoning code so that Skillz Zone, a skilled-game parlor, which operates much like an Internet café, can open its doors for business. City Council felt that Skillz Zone was small enough and out of the way enough not to ... Read More
May 21, 2015ogadmin
23
Apr2015
A Dayton business owner has pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, operation of an illegal gambling business, conspiracy to defraud the United States and witness tampering.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Reece Powers II recruited local nonprofit charitable organizations to sponsor poker ... Read More
April 23, 2015ogadmin
21
Apr2014
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 ... Read More
April 21, 2014ogadmin
19
Mar2014
HB 472 (Governor Kasich’s mid-biennium budget review) has been introduced. In it, Kasich seeks further regulation of skill-game arcades.
Internet cafes were essentially shut down last year, but are beginning to reappear as ‘skill game’ arcades, which are electronic slot machines illegally paying out cash prizes.
HB 472 attempts to tighten the ... Read More
March 19, 2014ogadmin
07
Mar2014
HB 7 essentially shut down Internet cafes last year. Now it appears these sweepstakes cafes are reappearing as skill games, which are also illegal depending on the machine operating software and how payouts are awarded. Skill games were essentially shut down in 2007 when all cash payouts were banned and ... Read More
March 7, 2014ogadmin
26
Nov2013
The village of Smithville became the second entity in Ohio to outright ban Internet cafes. Village leaders had been passing six month moratoriums on new businesses. The latest was set to expire at the end of the year.
November 26, 2013ogadmin
22
Oct2013
Governor John Kasich has signed Executive Order 2013-10K which issues emergency rules for the operation of a sweepstakes café in Ohio. HB 7 does not outright ban Internet cafes, but it does make it difficult to conduct business in the state. These rules, required by HB 7, establish sweepstakes registration ... Read More
October 22, 2013ogadmin
14
Oct2013
Meanwhile, despite HB 7 going into effect, the city of Canton has extended its moratorium on Internet cafes an additional six months, the third such extension since the moratorium took effect in 2012. According to a city councilman, the purpose of the extension was to protect the city in the ... Read More
October 14, 2013ogadmin