Video Sweepstakes Machines – Why They’re Not the Same Thing as Gambling
Video sweepstakes machines are popping up in internet cafes all over the country. And, despite what some detractors might say, these internet café games are not the same as gambling.
Some people say they should be illegal, but video sweepstakes machines are just simple games – not the clandestine gambling devices that some people think they are. There is a big difference between the sweepstakes software you see in an internet café and the Las Vegas strip.
At an internet café business, people can buy time on the computer, or buy long-distance phone time. In return for their purchase, these customers also get a free entry into a sweepstakes. It’s no different than buying a TV and having the store enter you in a free sweepstakes to see if you can win a DVD player to do with it. The only difference is how these internet café customers check to see if they won. Instead of getting a phone call, internet café customers head over to video sweepstakes machines.
While it may look like people are choosing chips or spinning virtual tumblers, these video sweepstakes machines are not the same thing as gambling. Because they are made out of sweepstakes software – and not created for casinos – all of the results are pre-determined. It doesn’t matter which button you push or which card you select on these video sweepstakes machines; you either have a winning entry, or you don’t. It’s like trying your luck at a free scratch-off ticket. You’re not gambling; you just want to see if you won a prize.
So, why doesn’t an internet café business just use scratch-off tickets?
While it may quiet the critics, scratch-off tickets are not nearly as exciting!
Internet café games are far more creative than a simple scratch-off card. Sweepstakes software can be used to create sights and sounds that remind you of a casino – while still complying with the law. With video sweepstakes machines, you can use buttons, reels, bars, bells, 7’s, and virtual cards.
Sweepstakes software can make you feel like you’re on vacation in Las Vegas, but, in reality, you are not really betting anything. There is no money to put down, no chips to cash in, and no decisions to make. If your sweepstakes entry is not a winning one, it doesn’t matter how hard you spin the reel. Three 7’s won’t pop up, no matter what you do. Unlike slot machines, all you are doing with sweepstakes software is trying your luck – for free.