Ohio lawmakers advance Internet cafe crackdown

COLUMBUS (AP) — Ohio state lawmakers moved boldly today against storefront sweepstakes parlors they have come to view as illegal gambling operations, advancing separate bills effectively banning the operations statewide and blocking startups until the ban takes hold.

The Senate State Government Oversight committee overwhelmingly approved the ban over the objections of a room crowded with employees and owners of so-called Internet cafes, who said a statewide crackdown would leave them jobless and unable to feed their families.

Chairman Dave Burke said he had sympathy for the witnesses but still saw the bill as necessary.

“The situation that’s going on in those facilities is baffling,” said Burke, a Marysville Republican. “I’m obviously compassionate for what these folks are doing, but passion and compassion doesn’t make it legal.”

About 800 of the cafes are in operation across the state, representing growing competition to legalized casinos and games held for charity.