An attorney for a Pinellas County sweepstakes café said he will let a petition for an injunction expire and will represent his client in criminal court if the client is arrested.
"My client plans to stay open anyway," said Larry Crow, an attorney for Charles Bartlett, owner of Reel Fun in Palm Harbor. "He'll fight it in criminal court if he has to."
Reel Fun is one of four sweepstake cafés in the county.
Pinellas County Sheriff Jim Coats last month said sweepstakes cafés are gambling enterprises that he intends to shut down.
Coats then filed a motion to dismiss last week. Circuit Judge John Schaefer in Clearwater heard the motion and ordered Crow to amend his petition.
Schaefer also ruled that he would not impede the right of the sheriff's office to continue its investigation into the sweepstakes cafés and possibly seize property at the sites, Crow said.
Proponents of the cafés say they run a sweepstakes-like game rather than a game of chance and that loophole keeps them on the right side of the law.
They have been challenged by law enforcement in Marion and Seminole counties, where the cases either have ended in acquittals, dismissals or are under appeal.
There are about 1,000 sweepstake cafés across the state.
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