Canadian Law
Anyone got a site on all the canadian law for gambling?? or most of them??
i was wondering if it's true that .... u can't gamble at the same casino if u work there ??
i've been hearing from some people that you can ... and some people say they can't
can someone clearify this for me
thanx
i was wondering if it's true that .... u can't gamble at the same casino if u work there ??
i've been hearing from some people that you can ... and some people say they can't
can someone clearify this for me
thanx
Comments
http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/C-46/42271.html
ScottyZ
So does this mean any small poker houses, even those that take a rake in exchange for food or other factors, working 100% outside the law, or is there some small loop hole they are exploiting
"common gaming house" means a place that is
(a) kept for gain to which persons resort for the purpose of playing games
(b) kept or used for the purpose of playing games
(i) in which a bank is kept by one or more but not all of the players,
(ii) in which all or any portion of the bets on or proceeds from a game is paid, directly of inderectly to the keeper of the place,
(iii) in which, directly or indirectly a fee is charged to or paid by the players for the privilege of playing or participating in a game or using equipment, or
(iv) in which the chances of winning are not equally favourable to all persons who play the game, including the person, if any, who conducts the game.
ok... lets deal with (a) last because there's a neat story that goes with it.
(b) (i) means that you can't play blackjack or craps or any other game where the "house" has an edge, even if you take turns being the "house".
(b) (ii) means house can't "rake" or charge a seat fee or admission and even "donating" to the house on your way out the door is a legal no-no.
(b) (iii) means you can't charge for the privilege of playing with your new $2000 real clay chips or KEM cards, etc. Even if you rent tables and chairs and chips from a 3rd party, you can't charge to recoup these costs.
(b) (iv) doesn't really apply to poker. Atleast not any form of poker we're interested in.
Now we get to (a)... the owner of the place you play can't make a profit from the fact the game is played there. A bar can't run a poker game, even if they don't charge a rake or seat fee, to bring in people that may buy a drink. They can't profit from the sale of drinks to the players. You can't even sell lemonade for a profit at a euchre game where no money is at stake. There can be no "gain" at all.
Now the interesting story... Suppose I rent large room... buy tables, chairs, chips, hire dealers and run a poker room... with no "rake", fee or anything. I pay the dealers out of my own pocket. Is this legal... and am I crazy? Well... it was done once... not by me... John Turmel ran a poker room just like this in Ontario. Why... well he was a good player and made money even after paying all the bills and people... now that's beating the "rake". Problem is... he was convicted. Even winnings count as "gain" if your that good, according to the criminal code!!
Here's the ammended article from "Martin's Annual Criminal Code" (a must read for you home game enthusiasts)
"gain" - As used in para. (a), "gain" can include direct winnings. Consequently, where the accussed was an exceptionally skilled professional gambler who supported the commercial gambling establishment and paid employees out of his large winnings, the premise fell within the meaning of "common gaming house": R. v. Turmel (1996), 109 C.C.C. (3d) 162 (Ont. C.A)
So... no rake... no profit... no fees... you're probably OK... even chipping in for food is alright... but if you making money... you're in trouble!!
because ... i won't be renting any seats tables chips or even paying the dealer to deal the card for my session
so is it ok for me to play at a casino if i work there?
I don't know if this is law, or a rule imposed by the casino.
Casinos in NY State are classed the same way:
Class II Casinos have Video Slots, Poker
Class III Casinos have Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, etc.
If you just want to deal poker you only need a class II licence. If you want to deal blackjack you need a class III. You may not play any games within the casino where you work lower in class than the licence you hold.
If I'm wrong on all of this (and I could very well be) I apologize, but Canadian casinos probably have an entirely different and more confusing set of rules. After all, there run by the government!:D
As for the Canadian law against it, no there is nothing for you to not play in your casino, if you have no written statment from your casino forbidding you. Double check like i said almost all that I have known have this rule.
Setting up your own poker room....
Was done here 4 times, all were up and running without a problem for years. Then the casinos started rattling the police to take action.
The results were as follows. One, closed under the constant presence of the police. Second was poorly run and had players breaking rules all the time and players left. Third ran for a long time until the fourth took over all the action. Fourth was up and running for years, until the cops started a vise opperation, and found nothing wrong...Until the took it to a judge and the vise cop said that he was "pressured into tipping the house every time he won a pot". This is were it all fell apart. Under Canadain law you cannot charge, but this place had a box for players to tip the house when the won. Usually 1-2 bucks per hand. All players did this, some did not, and were proptly reminded that the house needs money to opperate. The local players that always played there were very sticky to make sure all helped. Thus the room was dragged into court. Were it was fought for about a year. Then the Judge had dicided that YES there was pressure, and that it was against the law. Room closed.
But... gambling is provincially regulated. As far as I know, there is not one casino in Canada that is permitted to have their staff playing. This is not up to the casino. It has to do with the "perception of wrongdoing." Regulators in Canada think it would look bad to have staff playing the games. Generally, I agree with them.
As a personal piece of advice... if you are that concerned about whether or not you will be able to play in the casino you are working then one of two things seems to be true: (1) You shouldn't take the job; or (2) You should examine how important gambling is to you -- you might have it out of balance.
As a past Casino De hull employee, i can tell you that it is ( in Quebec ) prohibited for an employee to play at the casino where he works. I could go to the casino if i wanted but i had to stay away from all the gambling ( slots, tables roulettes..) i could look( from a certain distance) but thats it. I could go to the restaurants inside the casino but i couldnt order any alcoholic brevages . They established these rules for game integrity.