'Convenience casinos' open doors in Palm Beach County, Treasure Coast

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. - If you want to win some cash, you may not need to go as far as the casino. You could just drive down the street to find the nearest 'sweepstakes cafe.'

These unique businesses are springing up in the region, but not everyone thinks it's such a good idea. "You pay, you win, you win money. Simple as that," said Rick DeGregorio, a gambling addiction specialist who said 40% of his clients are compulsive or pathological gamblers.

It may look like the Las Vegas strip, but it could be your neighborhood. Strip mall storefronts across Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast are transforming into internet or 'sweepstakes' cafes. Critics call them 'convenience casinos.'

Cafe owners say this is not gambling; it's gaming. Customers who can walk out with cash winnings may not be exactly sure what they're buying into. "Is it any different than gambling? No, not really. I don't think so," answered Gene, a cafe customer who decline to give his last name.

"They'll sit there for hours and they'll feed that machine and the owners will profit from it," said DeGregorio. He said he wonders what the impact of these kinds of businesses will be on local neighborhoods and on people who may be prone to gambling addiction.

Watch our special report Wednesday on NewsChannel 5 at 11.