A ban on internet cafes is expected to be approved this legislative session. A Miami Herald investigation found that several internet cafe operators who pleaded with lawmakers not to outlaw their businesses have criminal records.
Mary Ellen Klas in the Herald/Times Tallahassee bureau says background checks are standard for the regulated gaming industry, but not for internet cafes.
“There's no requirement that there's a background check. There's no financial inquiry", Klas said. "There's no guarantee that you are who you say you are, that the money that you are collecting goes to where you say it's going. And that's exactly why we had this investigation into the Allied Veterans groups. So, who knows what other kinds of sketchy operations are going on.”
The charity group called Allied Veterans of the World is accused of running an illegal gambling ring at dozens of cafes in Florida.
The case led to the resignation of Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll. She used to own a public relations firm that represented the group.