Internet café closed for lack of gaming permit

An Internet café in Orebro, Sweden, was closed down after the town council decided that it needed a gaming permit because its 12 computers were sometimes used for online gambling.

The café took its case to the county administrative board and the administrative court, which ruled in its favor. However, the administrative court of appeal ruled that a personal computer, even in a café, automatically becomes a gaming machine if someone plays a game with a financial stake in it.

That ruling upheld the town council's original decision that the café needed a license and therefore had to be shut down.

Many European countries are imposing strict conditions on online gambling in their efforts to prevent gambling addiction. Around 200,000 Swedes are estimated to play poker online, and Sweden launched Svenska Spel, a state-run poker room, in March.

News Added: 03 June, 2006

Number of views : 749