Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Internet 'cafes': Another word for a casino?
Posted by Max Brantley on Tue, Sep 6, 2011 at 11:43 AM
Good article in this week's Arkansas Business by Mark Friedman about the arrival in Arkansas of so-called Internet cafes where the big revenue appears to be produced not by Internet access but by playing casino-style video games. Law officers are looking, but not yet ready to take action.
In a state where slot machines at race tracks can be winked at as "electronic games of skill" despite a constitutional prohibition on gambling, it's not exactly surprising that entrepreneurs are looking for similar loopholes. Such machines have swept several southern states and prompted legislative efforts to ban them.
Operators of the games claim they are merely "sweepstakes" akin to the Monopoly game at McDonald's. The big difference is that the number of points you get to "play" the sweepstakes is directly related to how much money you turn over to the "cafe" operator. Friedman, in playing the games, reports seeing no one checking e-mail or surfing the web for the latest news — just playing video games with the "points" they'd bought.
Comments (7)
Showing 1-7 of 7
"despite a constitutional prohibition on gambling.."
No, just various kinds of gambling. Much like Blue Laws, in which certain businesses are ok to be open on Sunday but others are limbs of Satan if open on Sunday, so goes the judgment call being made on gambling in Arkansas by people who think they are smarter than the rest of us. Kinda like the Perry/Bachmann mentality.
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>>akin to the Monpoloy game at McDonald's. The big difference is that the number of points you get to "play" the sweepstakes is directly related to how much money you turn over to the "cafe" operator. <<
Sounds just like MickeyD's, the more bigmac greaseburgers you buy the more times you get to play GreaseBurger Monopoly.
I go to casinos ever so often, usually much less than once a year.
I only play black jack and sometimes the slots.
The slots I know is rediculous since the machine gets to "decide" if I get to win a little before it "decides" it is now time to lose. But I get a bunch of free beer, get to do some people watching.
If I am playing black jack and the dealer is using actual cards I understand the game is stacked against me but there is some randomness in what card is coming next.
But here is my thing.
A couple weeks back my friend is playing an electronic Texas Holdem' game. Why even pretend it is a skill based game if the "machine" gets to decide after your wager, what to deal you?
Slots, raffles, and scratchoffs can be fun to win but you don't get to tout your winning as based off skill.
Electronic ANYTHING is the same as any other electronic game.
Here's one to try. I am thinking of a number between 1 and 10, if you can guess it within +/- 2, you win.
Oops, sorry you lose. Oh I don't need to wait till you tell me your guess. How bout going double or nothing?
Cato,
Your showing your age. Mention Blue Laws to anyone that missed the 60's and they have no clue what you are talking about.
Plus when you start to explain they think your making it up.
Citizen I, the same skills used in developing the "games of skill" are used to design voting machines. Nice thought!
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