The attention of legislators, state regulators and licensed casino operators has increasing turned to an alternative gambling trend—Internet sweepstakes cafes. Calls for bans have spurred legislative efforts in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, Virginia, North Carolina, Massachusetts and other states. The cafes exploit state gambling laws which generally permit sweepstakes–defined as free game promotions which avoid characterization as gambling or illegal lotteries by managing the operative variables of consideration, chance and prize.