Florida just outlawed pretty much all computers and smartphones

The state recently passed a bill to crack down on gambling in Internet cafes. In a potentially unfortunate twist for anyone using a computer or smartphone in the state, a new lawsuit alleges the wording on the bill is so broad that it could be interpreted as a ban on any device connected to the Internet.

A new bill passed two months ago by the Florida legislature expanded the definition of a "slot machine" so that it would include regular computers being used as makeshift slot machines, closing a loophole in state laws that legislators said allowed some gambling centers to operate as Internet cafes and adult arcades.

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Florida's new, expanded definition of a slot machine includes "any machine or device or system or network of devices" used to play games of chance or skill, which can be activated by not just inserting money, but an "account number, code, or other object or information."

According to the lawsuit, this new definition could include any smartphone or computer in Florida since, in theory, any device with access to the Internet could be used to play an illegal game.
"The possibilities of going on the Internet and using your phone generally turns every single smartphone, computer, whatever, into an illegal slot machine," said Kaplan.

For example, a recent Bud Light advertising campaign shows a man entering a code from a case of beer into his smartphone to see if he won a prize from the company.

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