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Legal gambling on 25th Street
This internet cafe is legal gambling on 25th Street, though maybe not for long.
An Independent Weekly article on the phenomena describes how it works:
As census data and visits to the sweepstakes cafes show, these businesses are often located in neighborhoods where people have little to spend and a lot to lose. Ultimately, the house always wins.
Because of a skillful and deliberate parsing of the law, Internet gambling is legal, whereas its video machine counterpart is not. Players “buy time,” on the computers, and players win credits in the online sweepstakes that are then transferred back into cash. Unlike slot machines, prizes are paid to winners based on predetermined sweepstakes systems, not by chance. That’s the loophole.
Here at 1111 North 25th Street, $5 gets you 30 minutes of internet time (which is free across the street at the East End Library). You can also put some money on a card and get to gamblin’. There are at least 15 computers. The back is the smoking section. They are open M-SAT 10AM-midnight and noon-midnight on Sunday.
I was wondering about this place last night. There were a lot of people in there around 7pm.
Wonder what they “smoke”?
Oh, I don’t know. Many other Richmond establishments contain separate smoking areas. Do you think they smoke something different in those places? Geez.
Pretty naive “visitor”. lol
Why would they allow this near a library and a residential area? If it is legal, can the establishment be forced to move away from our neighborhood and the library where our kids study. I read on the internet that several of the internet sweepstakes cafes in other states as well as in Virginia have been raided. I say move it outside of the neighborhood.
nbc12 has picked up on this: Lawmakers target illegal gambling at internet cafes.
Yeah, what are they thinking? Gambling and alcohol should be regulated so that it’s not near residential neighborhoods! Next thing you know there will be liquor stores nearby and gambling in convenience stores. The government needs to do something about this!! Wait a minute…
Attempt To Rush Close Of Sweepstakes Cafes Fails
http://www.wric.com/Global/story.asp?S=14398256
MYOB. why is it ok to go to the various otbs and not hear a peep but something viable on 25th st. brings out the pollyannas and even funnier the anonymous euphemistic racism. yeah you know how THOSE people be. nice to see the same pack of cowards runnin their sucks. oh well .see ya around the neighborhood.