APOPKA, Fla. – One day after a robber was killed by a security guard at an Internet cafe in Apopka, Local 6 is looking into what exactly the cafes are and why they remain open only in certain counties.
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Early Tuesday morning, two men stormed into the Allied Veterans Internet Cafe on East State Road 436 in Apopka and started shooting at the security guard, according to the Seminole County Sheriff's Office. The security guard fired back, striking Gary Bryant, 21, who left the scene but was later found and died at a hospital. Two other men fired gunshots into the store before fleeing.
Local 6 went inside one of the Internet "Sweepstakes" cafes on Wednesday. There are rows of computers inside with people parked in front of them, but the computers more closely resemble a machine you would see in a casino than a personal computer.
When you walk in, you buy computer time, or credits. At the computer, you have an option to log on to the internet, or use your credits to play games, such as video slots.
Operators of Internet cafes said they offer harmless games, but it feels like gambling. Instead of a "bet" button, there is a "level" button to choose the amount of credits you want to spend on each spin. The more credits used, the higher the payoff if you win.
Operators said it does not matter how you play. The credits you buy when you walk in the door are either winners or losers, and have already been determined.
Internet cafes are cropping up all over the state, but not in every county.
Investigative reporter Tony Pipitone said the cafes have flourished in some counties, but not in others, like Seminole and Osceola, because of local law enforcement's view on whether the cafes are legal.
State Attorney Lawson Lamar heads a task force, the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, that has gone through the state shutting these cafes down.
In December 2009, MBI agents sent a message to cafes in Orange and Osceola that they were not welcome. Seminole County passed a law in January to shut down the Internet cafes there as well, but Allied Veterans took the issue to federal court in Orlando and obtained an injunction preventing the county from enforcing the law.
While a judge considers a final decision on the matter, Allied Veterans continues to operate in Seminole County, grossing $100,000 a week at just one location. The company said the money helps homeless veterans, but the tax return for the company shows that of around $600,000 in revenue in 2009, around $4,320 was donated to veterans.
Deputies said these cafes are targets for robbers because of the large amounts of cash that can be found inside.
During Tuesday's robbery, dozens of customers were put in danger. One man inside said a recent hip surgery prevented him from moving at all to dodge the gunfire.
Deputies are still searching for the other two men involved. Deputies described the men as possibly in their mid-20s wearing dark clothing.