DeWine: Internet cafes are not legal

By David Skolnick | May 26, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine

YOUNGSTOWN

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said most Internet gaming caf s and sweepstakes businesses are operating illegally, and if legislation in the General Assembly passes, many will go out of business.

“In almost every case, they’re nothing more than glorified slot machines,” DeWine said Wednesday in an interview with The Vindicator.

Two Ohio House members introduced legislation in March that would require skill-based or sweepstakes machines to be certified and licensed by the Ohio Casino Control commission. Games of skill are legal, but games of chance are not, DeWine said.

“We believe most machines now wouldn’t pass the test” of being games of skill, DeWine said.

Gaming caf s and sweepstakes businesses have grown statewide in the past two years with numerous operations in Mahoning Valley, particularly in Austintown and Boardman.

The legislation also allows communities to opt out of having these businesses, and limits the number of gaming terminals to five per location. Current businesses would not be exempt from the legislation, DeWine said.

“It is tens of millions, it could be hundreds of millions of dollars” in revenue at these businesses, he said.

During his conversation with Vindicator writers, DeWine said he’s committed to not only keeping a local attorney general’s office in downtown Youngstown but wants to expand its operations and “slowly add” staff there.

The attorney general’s office at the city-owned 20 Federal Place employs 32.