“Internet gambling?”
Yes. The way I had it described to me recently for a nearby shop was that they charge $6/hr for access. For that they are auto-entered into numerous jackpot drawings and can ‘do whatever’ during their internet usage. There are links provided for online gambling sites and that’s what most people go there for because the chance of gambling + the jackpot is better odds than playing at home.
From what I’ve heared one nearby establishment grosses over 25k a week.
They are outlawed in Pinellas county.
Hmm, sounds a bit like the "video poker" business that was all over Louisiana years before the casinos finally got a foothold in New Orleans. Certain "connected" people got the licenses for those machines and usually placed them in bars that were well guarded (because of the cash flow). In this case, the money is separated from the "gaming equipment", but it is there on-site just the same.