By Bill Varian, Times Staff Writer
Posted: Oct 19, 2011 04:47 PM
Noting their speedy proliferation, Hillsborough County commissioners initiated steps Wednesday toward ordering a moratorium on Internet sweepstakes cafes.
Commissioners voted unanimously to ask their staff to create a licensing requirement for existing sweepstakes cafe owners for their consideration at a future public hearing. Once those cafes are registered, the window would quickly close for new sweepstakes cafe licenses.
Commissioner Sandra Murman noted that the Legislature is scheduled to take up several bills next year dealing with sweepstakes cafes. In the meantime, cafe owners have filed lawsuits to ban their operations in other nearby counties including Pinellas.
The license and moratorium approach would give commissioners an opportunity to halt their fast spread in the county while enabling them to see how the state and courts address regulation of them.
“I’m just trying to find something as a stop-gap measure right now,” Murman said.
Murman presented commissioners with a map produced by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office showing the locations of at least 28 cafes that have opened in unincorporated areas. Since the map was produced less than two weeks ago, Murman said eight new locations have opened.
“Let’s take care of our people in our county right now,” she said.