Sumter County’s remaining dozen internet cafes received clean bills of health in the latest inspections, County Administrator Bradley Arnold told commissioners Tuesday night.
Eleven cafes, also known as adult arcades, are open and one, Winner’s World on Buenos Aires Boulevard in The Villages, remained closed by the owner although four June inspections found no violations.
“They have all cleaned up their compliance-related issues,” Arnold said.
Cafes with no violations include Gold Rush Arcade of Lake Panasoffkee, Good Time Arcade of Lady Lake, Lady Dawg’s Cafe of Bushnell, Coconuts of Lady Lake, Il Villagio of Lady Lake, Sunshine Arcade of Lady Lake, Players Place of Lady Lake, Senior Center of Lady Lake, VIP Zone/Dreamer’s of Lake Panasoffkee and Senior Social Center of Lady Lake.
Sumter County issued operating permits to 13 internet cafes and the permit for Fun Times Arcade of Lake Panasoffkee was revoked May 24 due to continuing violations.
Two other cafes also closed.
Spin the Wheel Cafe of Wildwood was refused a permit because the owner, MK3 Plus Software, was registered in Georgia and not in Florida. The owner said he had moved the registration to Florida, but County Attorney Jennifer Rey said it was not done by the application deadline.
50K Arcade of Lake Panasoffkee also closed after the owner failed to apply for an operating permit by the deadline.
Internet cafes offer cash or prizes to customers who play well on video games, which provides a way for them to skirt Florida’s gambling laws.
Sumter County commissioners approved an ordinance earlier this year to regulate the cafes after residents complained about loitering, theft and other issues near some cafes, especially in Lake Panasoffkee.
The ordinance requires existing cafes to obtain annual operating permits and submit to regular inspections for building code violations and safety requirements.
Under the ordinance, new internet cafes cannot be located within 1,000 feet of a residence or within 2,500 feet of a school, child care center, day care center, church, park, playground or library.
