Re: PBM Legalities?

From: minnotte@stat0.stat.rice.edu (Michael Minnotte)

Date: Fri, 03 Dec 1993 23:03:57 +0000

In article <19931203012520.wildert@e126b4.egr.msu.edu> wildert@student.msu.edu  (Thomas Wilder) writes:
>     Hello everyone.  I'm interested in what the legalities of a PBM game
>are... of course it's legal to require a paid registration for a pbm game,
>correct?  I am just wondering if it is also legal to require a fee for
>registration in a PBM game and then also a cash prize to the top few scorers
>in the game?  Is this legally ok?  Or is it starting to wander into the
>sweepstakes/lottery/gambling area?  I'm just wondering because I recently
>ran across a PBM game that looked interesting, but required a fee (this I
>have no problem with) and offers cash prozes to the winners (this, however,
>just sounded a bit fishy to me).

Are you sure it was actually cash?  The only examples I'm aware of all
offer as prizes merely game credit, not actual cash.  (Flying Buffalo
offers a free setup, Ark Royal just distributes 10% of the fees for
a given game as game credit to its winners.)  I'm certain this is legal.
(I think a company can give its product away to anyone it wants to, in
general.)

I am interested in the answer to your question though.  I have been
distantly aware (I think) of things like fishing tournaments, golf
tournaments, etc. which required an entrance fee but then offered
cash prizes.  I have a vague feeling that somehow skill being
involved makes it all right (which a PBM company might reasonably
claim), or something, but I'm certainly no expert on this.  I'd be
interested in hearing from someone who actually knows what he's
talking about on the subject.

Mike

References

PBM Legalities?
wildert@student.msu.edu (Thomas Wilder)
Fri, 03 Dec 1993 01:25:00 +0000