Sweepstates Cafes Crashing The Gambling Party, Experts Say

[WSJ Law Blog]

Gaming experts are keeping a close eye on the proliferation of so-called Internet Sweepstakes Cafes, which are coming under siege by law enforcement across the country.



“Gambling has become more morally acceptable and more present,” said Nelson Rose, an expert on gambling laws. “If you open the door a crack, entrepreneurs are going to try to find a way to force it wide open.”

In a typical cafe, customers get “sweepstakes” entries as a promotion for each dollar they spend on Web time. The sweepstakes typically involve points that are often placed on plastic swipe cards. The customers can then play simulated slot-machine games to find out if they have won cash prizes.

More...