Internet cafe owners dispute 'gambling' label

HUDSON, Fla. - Two weeks after raids by authorities in Pinellas and Pasco County, targeted internet cafes remain closed.

Bruce Williams owns one of them, Bluejay Sweepstakes on State Road 52 in Hudson.  "They had 16 police officers to carry out 30 computers -- sixteen!"

Williams, a former nationally syndicated talk show host, says his typically older customers buy internet time and play casino-style computer games for cash. But he says they operate as a sweepstakes, not gambling.   "I'm still persuaded. Nobody's persuaded me otherwise, that we are breaking the law," said Williams.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco disagrees, but does understand why some see the cafes as a gray area.

"And that is the whole problem with this issue, is that people feel we have gambling in our state, why is this illegal? And I think that's whole issue we are facing right now. But working with the state attorney, these places are considered, in our opinion, illegal," said Nocco.

Hernando County is in a different district from Pasco and Pinellas. The state attorney there already tried to prosecute the owner of one internet cafe, but was unsuccessful.

That's why Lucky Puppy Sweepstakes in Spring Hill is still operating. Williams owns that business as well.

"The reality is every time some governmental body said this is gambling, they have lost," said Williams.

The Hernando County Sheriff's Office says they will not invest resources investigating the cafes until they overcome the issues involved in prosecuting them.

But owners of the businesses in Pinellas and Pasco could still face charges there.

State lawmakers are still working on a bill that could regulate the cafes and clear up the confusion once and for all.