Colorado sweepstakes cafes are illegal. At the least, that’s the viewpoint through the state’s Attorney General’s office, which has given a legal opinion saying that ‘cybercafés,’ better understood as sweepstakes cafes in a number of other states, constitute an application of illegal gambling.

Based on the opinion, the cafes are no sweepstakes operations, but are gambling operations and would want to be approved by voters through an amendment to the state’s constitution in order to be legal.

The AG official dictum goes on to say that the sweepstakes cafes have actually each of the sun and rain that are necessary to classify an action as gambling.

‘Because all three elements: consideration, chance, and reward are current, under Colorado law, the activity occurring at sweepstakes cafes in Colorado constitutes unlawful gambling,’ the opinion reported.

Approximately 40 Cafes Operating in State

Based on industry officials, there are about 40 such venues currently operating in Colorado. Former Pueblo County Sheriff Dan Corsentino, whom now works as a consultant for Cyber GT techniques (which has seven of the continuing companies), says they do not constitute gambling. He says that the games have some known level of ability, and that the cafes simply give customers another method to play games and attempt to win prizes, something widely available not in the cafes since well.

That’s perhaps not an opinion that lots of states have actually provided so far. In the last few years, operators of sweepstakes cafes have fought and lost legal battles in states including Florida, California, and Mississippi. But Corsentino claims he hopes that officials Colorado will find a better way to deal with the industry than those states.

‘We believe regulation is better than express prohibition,’ said Corsentino. ‘I’m hoping there is certainly some middle ground.’

To that particular end, he says the cafes might be willing to bend their company models to comply make sure they with state regulations. They might add more items for sale so that they better resemble retail stores, and make sure they steer clear through the three aspects of the state that allow for casino gambling.

Legislators State AG’s Verdict is obvious

But legislators say that this is unlikely to satisfy them.

‘It appears to me that the lawyer general had been firm that is pretty these operations are illegal,’ stated State Representative Polly Lawrence (R-Roxborough Park).

Lawrence was one of many sponsors of legislation early in the day this that was designed to kill the sweepstakes cafes year. In accordance with Lawrence, the cafes make most of their money from the poor and the elderly, and so they lack the settings and regulation that their state’s casinos are subjected to.

The ruling from the Attorney General’s office doesn’t mean the cybercaf&eacute necessarily;s are going away any time in the future. According to workplace spokesperson Carolyn Tyler, regional law enforcement officials will have to decide what should occur to the businesses in their jurisdictions. As of yet, there were no immediate moves to raid or shut any cafes down.

Some towns and urban centers have actually already considered the issue, however. For instance, the Lakewood City Council passed an one-year moratorium on licensing sweepstakes cafes earlier in 2014 to be able to see the way the state would regulate them in the meantime.

The sweepstakes cafes, which have popped up in several states and typically provoked challenges that are legal use many different methods to attempt to get around gambling laws and regulations. Typically, users must purchase a product such as phone cards or Internet time in exchange for sweepstakes entries, that may end in cash prizes. However, officials say that customers are only at these venues for the gambling aspect, and few if any actually intend to use anything they purchase in the stores.