The Jackpot Cyber Center, whose owners collaborated with the New Kensington Development Corporation to be less shady, is now closed forever. City Paper's Samantha Melamed reports that a bill has been passed making it a misdemeanor offense "to own, operate, maintain or have a financial interest in an electronic gaming machine or sweepstakes through the use of a simulated gambling device." Oddly, however, Jackpot's owner didn't seem to understand that was the nature of his business when CP confronted him about it several months ago:
CP: "Oh. So [this business has] nothing to do with gambling?" JCC: "No! People from the neighborhood keep asking me that. Why are they asking me that?"CP: "Uh... maybe because the name is 'Jackpot'?"
JCC: "What?! We just thought 'Jackpot' is a catchy name. What, now you can't call a business 'Jackpot'?"
Nope. Now you can't.
· "Jackpot Internet Cafe" will offer high-end computers and software, as well as sweepstakes games [Plan Philly]
· Jackpot Cyber Center is open — and yet continues to mystify [CP]
· A losing hand for Internet 'sweepstakes cafes' [CP]