Is it legal to do this?
Scenario 1
I would like to host a tournament in a hall 50 or 100 people and i was wondering of the legality. Here is what would happen. I would rent the tables and all the equipment for the tournament and rent the hall. If it legal for me to charge the buy-in and then take whatever money to pay the rent for tables and location and then all the money that is left over going to prizes?
What about getting people and paying them to be the dealers is that legal? I as the organizer would not be benefiting.
Scenario 2
Have the buy in and then take all the money and buy a gift that costs as much as i take in and give it out as prizes instead of cash?
Thanks in advance
I would like to host a tournament in a hall 50 or 100 people and i was wondering of the legality. Here is what would happen. I would rent the tables and all the equipment for the tournament and rent the hall. If it legal for me to charge the buy-in and then take whatever money to pay the rent for tables and location and then all the money that is left over going to prizes?
What about getting people and paying them to be the dealers is that legal? I as the organizer would not be benefiting.
Scenario 2
Have the buy in and then take all the money and buy a gift that costs as much as i take in and give it out as prizes instead of cash?
Thanks in advance
Comments
Mark
do a search to get more info
As opposed to the hole where all your thoughts and 'insights' come from.
is ScottyZ a lawyer?
Who's ScottyZ? Does that guy even post here anymore? I think he must be on Christmas vacation...
It is only illegal if you get caught.
Any game could get busted and then it would be up to the accused to prove their innocence..
Around the GTA the police have better things to do with their time.
http://pokerforum.ca/forum/index.php?topic=7159.0
And I always thought it was up to the Law Enforcement to prove you guilty. Damn
If someone is making a buck, then you are a gaming house.
There are two ways to avoid liabliity:
(1) Get a lisence from a provincial regulator -- this will not happen (although Sask is working on a charity lisence, I'm told).
(2) Don't gamble. I think this is possible. There will need to be NO actual gambling. So, if the prizes are modest and have, for insatnce, been donated by a sponsor then this is probably OK. Nobody is gambling in the usual sense of the word. But, if the prizes are "cash substitutes" (i.e. TV's and the like) then a judge will see through the ruse. Judges aren't stupid people.
The simple question I tell people to answer is this: "It's a poker tournament or not. You know the difference in your heart. If it's a poker tournament, you are breaking the law. If it's a charity fundraiser that is based upon poker, you are probably OK."
I am not a lawyer. Conslut a lawyer in your jurisdiction.
And after you are done don't forget to ask about the legality of your tourney idea.
Even if you charged for a bag potato chips you are breaking the law.