For several years North Carolina officials have struggled with the issue of Internet cafes, where customers can essentially go in and gamble online.

Because there are not slot machines or other traditional gambling equipment on the premises, and because the actual location of the server on which the games are played could be located anywhere in the world, these businesses have escaped gambling prohibitions.

As state legislators struggle with how, and even whether, they can limit these businesses, Mount Airy officials are dealing with the issue because nearly a half-dozen such establishments have opened in the city.

Mount Airy offers an attractive location for people wanting to open and operate these business for a couple of reasons. First, it is a population and commercial center for the region and second, it is near the Virginia border. Since such establishments are essentially outlawed in that state, North Carolina operators no doubt hope to lure additional customers from north of the border.

We are not so sure North Carolina should outlaw the cafes. Not that we support gambling — we do not — but as Sen. Don East pointed out, how does one tell a business person he cannot run a gaming establishment while the state runs a massive one known, inaccurately, as the North Carolina Education Lottery.

One consideration legislators might look at is highly regulating the establishments. Not with the goal of running them out of business, but with the hope of setting standards by which they must operate while offering consumers some protections. Among the rules which could be instituted might be a limit on how much a person can spend within a 24-hour period.

Locally, the commissioners might take a look at instituting some fees on the operation of such establishments. Not so much so as to effectively run the businesses out of the city — they could simply move outside the Mount Airy city limits and set up shop.

No, we believe if the cafes are going to be here, the city should establish some regulations governing their operation, and establish fees that, while not onerous to the business, makes their presence a significant financial boon to the city.

Until state lawmakers determine what they will do with Internet cafes, we think it dangerous, from a legal standpoint, for the city to attempt to shut them down. So, while they are here, the city budget might as well reap some benefit from their existence.