Mauldin Extends Internet Sweepstakes Moratorium

Mauldin has extended its original 180-day moratorium prohibiting the licensing of any new Internet sweepstakes gambling establishments or machines in the city. 

will expire Feb. 17. The Council, in extending the moratorium another 180 days, hopes that will be enough time for the state legislature to pass a law banning the games outright.

A bill to do so has already passed the state Senate and is now in the House. If passed, Gov. Nikki Haley has promised to sign it.

"The good news is the legislature is in the process of amending the law, which will take care of it permanently," said Council member Scott Crosby.

The cafes, which earlier this year were proliferating at a rapid clip throughout the state have largely been contained through moratoriums on new businesses such as Mauldin's, and outright bans in other counties and municipalities. 

Law enforcement agencies across the state, including the Greenville County Sheriff's Office, have periodically conducted raids on Internet cafes deemed solely operating as gaming establishments. A raid by the GCSO last August resulted in the seizure of 107 machines at three different establishments in the county.

Locally, most operators of the games have removed their machines, closed down, or moved elsewhere. The owner of the largest establishment locally, Lucky's Internet Cafe on Woodruff Road, which had 30 machines, closed shop and sold off his machines last year after the city's moratorium passed.

City Attorney John Duggan said it is crucial that the legislature act to ban the games. Otherwise, if the state fails and the courts do not act, the city can't just continue to extend the moratorium indefinitely. 

"But I think within 180 days you will get an answer [from the legislature]," he said.