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Summit County Puts Off Regulating Gambling Parlors

Posted on April 7th, 2010

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The Summit County Council which has agreed to clean up on unregulated storefront gambling parlors like gaming arcades, Internet cafes, and sweepstakes cafes in the nine townships of the county has decided to delay setting the regulations in motion.

Under the proposed legislation, businesses would be required to get an annual $2,000 license from the county’s Office of Consumer Affairs, submit detailed list of names and identities of the owner and all employees, and pay a monthly fee of $200 for every gambling machine. The gambling parlors would be ordered to open not earlier than 10 a.m. and to close not later than 11 p.m., and no minors or those under the age of 18 would be allowed inside.

The legislation also authorizes the exclusion of those found guilty of ”gambling or other crime of moral turpitude within five years preceding the application” from being granted a license. Regulations would apply to all businesses with four or more machines, and the job of putting the rules into effect would be assigned to the Office of Consumer Affairs.

Councilwoman Paula Prentice presented the proposal after Springfield and Coventry Township trustees asked the county for assistance upon learning that the businesses, to evade regulations enforced by the cities of Akron and Tallmadge, moved to the townships which do not have authority to regulate the operations.

The council decided to freeze the proposal after receiving complaints from business owners, their attorneys and employees who were present during the discussion of the Rules Committee on the issue. The attorneys who spoke on behalf of the business owners said they are amenable to some control, but the legislation, if enforced, would bleed the businesses dry, especially referring to the $200 monthly fee for each machine.”We’re perfectly willing to work with you,” said attorney S. David Worhatch, lawyer for the Massillon Road Internet Connection in Springfield Township. He said the proposal would compel the gambling parlor to shell out $86,000 in fees annually, adding that it might be forced to counter with a lawsuit.

The attorneys appealed to the council to ease the regulations and to confer with the business owners when revising the proposal. Councilman Pete Crossland said some form of regulation is imminent, but Prentice said she’s responsive to suggestions and would make the adjustments to the proposal. ”It’s not our job to drive them out of business. It’s to clean them up,” she clarified. Only Trustee Dean Young defended the legislation, saying the county should rally round the townships in exercising control over the gambling operators, some of whom were convicted of the crime of illegal gambling and are now doing business in Springfield.