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Floridians haven’t been able to step foot in an internet café for about a year.  Sweeping change came in 2013 after the bust of Allied Veterans, a fake charity making millions through an illegal internet café gambling ring. Then Lieutenant Governor Jennifer Carroll resigned in connection to the bust.

“The intent of what we did last year, which was to ban internet cafes across the state of Florida, was very successful,” said House Speaker Will Weatherford.

The intent carried unintended consequences, too. The law only allowed for “coin operated games,” putting strains on popular chains like Dave and Buster’s and Chuck E. Cheese that use payments other than cash on their gaming machines.Senator Kelli Stargel is proposing a bill that would allow for card payments or coupons to be used.

“It’s not a scaling back, what we did last year was absolutely necessary to make it very clear that internet cafes and the way they’re operated is not something we think should be legal,” said Sen. Stargel.

The bill is meant to keep the illegal internet café’s closed, but there’s wiggle room to reopen senior arcades if rules are followed.

Stargel’s bill allows for arcades with at least 50 games used for “bona fide entertainment purposes only.”

“If it’s in an arcade or if they’re in a bowling alley, or the bottom of a hotel establishment, or something like that, it’s going to be an amusement area, an arcade room, it’s not going to be an internet café,” said Sen. Stargel.

Weatherford isn’t sure the law needs to be changed

“I’ll let our committees and our people figure that out,” he said.

Stargel’s bill legalizes claw machines which opponents say are already considered illegal gambling devices, but are found throughout the state.

Stargel’s bill received unanimous support from the Senate’s Gaming Committee. The House has its own gaming bill that doesn’t have any language about arcade games.