Florida legislators voted overwhelmingly Thursday to ban storefront gaming operations, a quick response to a scandal that led to dozens of arrests and the lieutenant governor’s resignation.

The bill is now headed to the desk of Gov. Rick Scott, who said he will sign it. The operations, commonly called “Internet cafes,” would allow customers to play sweepstakes games that simulated slot machines.

“It took a serious event, a very serious event, to bring attention to what we needed to do,” said Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine and one of the sponsors of the measure.

The Florida Senate approved the measure on a 36-4 vote Thursday. The Florida House had already approved it.

The Legislature is feeling pressure to act after an investigation into the Allied Veterans of the World charity. It was accused of running a $290 million illegal gambling business that directed most of the proceeds into its owners’ pockets. Law enforcement authorities last month arrested nearly 60 people affiliated with Allied.

Arcades have argued that they complied with a 1984 law legalizing games that required a human skill — in their case, pushing a button to “stop” slots-like spinning symbols. But proponents of the bill say those games are not skill-based, and changes in the bill would require arcades to have only coin-operated machines and ban giving gift cards as prizes.

Gail Fontaine, president of the Florida Arcade Association, immediately put out a statement saying that the group was “disappointed and disheartened” by the vote.

“Seniors and children are being punished despite following the rules and providing a safe place for entertainment,” she said. “It’s highly disappointing to see the Legislature punish our seniors for the misdeeds of Internet cafe operators. We are not gambling establishments. We are nothing more than social clubs that provide fun and stimulating games to keep our patrons active and happy.”

So who wins here?

The Seminole gambling lobby group not just elevated their presence as the “competition” was eliminated and the push for Las Vegas casinos continues.

Recently the attempt was to broker a deal on behalf of the Seminole Tribe of Florida to legalize full-scale casino gambling across the state, funded by Vegas investors.

“They’re not regulators, they’re cheerleaders,” said John Glogau, an assistant Florida attorney general who was part of those discussions.