Is it legal to participate?

[.Q.]

One of the most common questions we receive lately is:

"Can I legally participate in one of your raffles?"

 

There is a good reason for this question - and I would be personally quite interested in an answer to it from the US and/or Canada!

 

I myself can answer that question for European Countries, where it has been raised also in connection with participation in Online Casinos, Online Poker etc - so this might have some relevance here as well:

 

The short answer is: Yes! You can legally participate!

 

The long answer is:

Especially European Governments who hold big stakes in the monopolized Lottery-Industry try every trick of the trade to discourage players from participating in online games.

Unfortunately (for them!):

(a) The EC has adopted a very clear and very liberal position towards online gambling. Just in 2009 3 decissions AGAINST EC Memberstates were handed down by the EC Supreme Courts in Strassbourgh whi had tried to stop Online Gambling entities from promoting and/or making their services available in all of the EC.

( According to Articel 49 of the founding contract of the EC /Contract of Rome) it would be illegal to prohibit or hinder free trade of services accross EC-borders. Again, see (a): The Supreme Court in Strassbourgh has confirmed this fact three times this year alone!

© For a long time the online gaming, betting and gambling industry was not threat enough for the monopolies to cover their rears with adequat laws. That arrogance is now coming back to haunt them.

(d) So they now have to resort to badmouth the idea in general and if that does not help the last resort is to give participants a scare by threatening them that they could be subjected to prosecution. (Which, to say the least, is BS)

 

Most EC Countries have similar language in their laws. This language seemed to be sufficient but it is not, since it (more or less in all countries) reads like this:

"It is illegal to participate in illegal games of chance, gambling or lottery."

Well, fair enough!

It says "in illegal...." (!)

Most online Casinos or Lottery Operators like us either operate from jurisdictions where they dont need a license (and hence their operation is NOT ILLEGAL!) or - even better yet - they do hold a license in one of the countries issuing such! So they too are NOT ILLEGAL.

 

The question whether legal or not can only be decided by the country where the operation is acting from - not by the country where participants reside!

 

Consequently: If the operation is legal, participating with it can hardly be considered "participation with illegal gambling" but must be viewed as "participation with legal gambling" - and hence can not be subject to prosecution.

 

======== So, yes! all you European! Dont let your Governments scare you away from participating with any legally offered form of online gaming, gambling, lottery and the likes! :-) ==========

 

It would be interesting to learn what the US-Laws and Canadian Laws have to say about this issue. I would imagine they too can only outlaw gambling that is being conducted or operated from within their own borders.

 

How could they possibly outlaw a Canadian on Vacation in Europe to participate in one of i.e. our Raffles? (Such as in this particular example our very own Raffle of a Million $ Mansion in Canada: http://www.BC-Mansion.net )

How could they possibly outlaw a Canadian in Canada or an American in the USofA from participating in any game of chance that is being legally conducted somewhere else in the world?

 

Lets look upon this issue in a more understandable example:

Germany (i.e.) can prohibit anyone from driving a car under the age of 18 IN GERMANY - but they have no jurisdiction over a i.e. 17 yr. old German obtaining a drivers license legally while in the US and driving there with it!

 

Anyway:

YES Europeans, no matter where they live can legally participate in any Raffle , Casino, Lottery, Poker etc, anywhere in the world.

 

So, guys & gals: Go and have fun!

[GoGrunge]

This was a interesting post .Q. - I come from Sweden and the Swedish government has had a state run monopoly for years and are now the threatend by private enterprises turning their high taxing gaming model on its ear. I think the benefits to the user are both better payouts and greater competition. Disadvantages being greedy shareholder and ethics of the companies behind those sites - but govts sometimes have the same problem but at least then the money went back to the national coffs for spending!

 

GoGrunge

[.Q.]

This was a interesting post .Q. - I come from Sweden and the Swedish government has had a state run monopoly for years and are now the threatend by private enterprises turning their high taxing gaming model on its ear. I think the benefits to the user are both better payouts and greater competition. Disadvantages being greedy shareholder and ethics of the companies behind those sites - but govts sometimes have the same problem but at least then the money went back to the national coffs for spending!

 

GoGrunge

 

Thanks! :-)

 

The good news is, that the greedy faces in this new game are on the decline. Simple reason: They start to find out that its really hard work (!) to get a House Raffle etc. going! (Ask me! I should know! :-) )

 

I simply love the concept:

=> A desperate homeseller gets a reasonable price for his property (at least in the decent raffles)

=> A happy winner gets a house, yacht, car, whatever free and clear.

=> All the others who did not win at least got a fair shot on winning (since the odds - again, in a decent raffle - beat those of any other lottery by far.

 

So, by and large, I think the concept will eventually be a success! (Or else I would not putting these weird ours into building our business!)

*grin*

 

Media is boykotting us, - darn, but so be it. What we do need, more than anything else, is "word of mouth"! We need people like you to participate and to tell your friends, and we need them to tell their friends.

[GoGrunge]

I will definitely be having a look!

 

GoGrunge