Casino's and Gambling...

Where in the TOS does it say anything about casino's and gambling aren't permitted? I can't find it.

I used to create slot machines in SL, some may remember, JS Casino Games and Entertainment. Anyways, every so often I check back to see if LL decided to lift the ban.

So my second question is, did they? Or did I just miss the part of the TOS that says gambling or gaming devices aren't permitted.


Thanks,

Chri5 Somme

Gambling was banned in the summer.

Read the question, and then reply... I know it was banned in the summer, and like I said, I used to create casino and gambling games before the ban. I was asking if the ban has been lifted yet, and if it hasn't, what part of the TOS says that gambling devices are not permitted?

dont believe they have lifted the ban.
if theres nothing about it in the tos maybe its in the community standards?
then again this wouldnt be the first time ll have made rules and not updated the website

It is in the TOS but not directly. The TOS states anything illegal is not allowed and online gambling is illegal in the USA. Being the servers are all in the USA then USA laws apply.

Until the US government decides to make it legal (don't count on it) then it will not be allowed in SL.

I remember when the ban was implemented, in the TOS it said that games of chance that involved money weren't permitted, and they gave a list of examples, like slot machines, poker tables, but now in the community standards and TOS I can't find anything.

Do a keyword search in the TOS for gambling, casino, gamble, chance, or slots, or anything similar... can't find anything!

Where does it say that, what section of TOS?

Quick browse. Might be more in the Community standards.

ok... but where does it say that gambling and casino games aren't permitted?

Where I am, gambling online isn't illegal... so how is the rest of the world supposed to know?

well the cynical part of me believes that they may have decided to broaden the gambling ban to a point where it is no longer recognisable as a gambling ban. the benefits to them would be that there would be no loopholes available and new users would not be turned off by seeing so many 'dont do this and that' rules in the tos.

sounds like no one knows the exact place, and you'll have to thoroughly read the TOS yourself to find out your answers.

yes they are banned and generated the usual critical mass load of omg what have you done now threads.

They are banned beacuse its illegal in many countries and the USA in which this company is based and not truly a tos thing in that LL just decided it would be a good thing.

Its probably around somewhere but where I have no idea. Since I dont gamble anyhow i never paid much attention to the entire thing.

It is your responsibility to know the law not LL's job to tell you what it is. The TOS would be thousands of pages long if that was the case.

Also note this applies to ANY website you visit also. Where ever the server is located for that site you are bound by the laws of where that server is.

I don't remember where it was either but I remember it was under something under games not allowed or something.

Here is all I could find about it in official blog
http://blog.secondlife.com/?s=gambling
http://blog.secondlife.com/2007/08/09/anti-gambling-policy-update-faq/#more-1137

k thnx to all the USA and LL fanboys and girls.. pretty lame that LL doesn't say specifically if gambling with money is allowed or not, it used to be such a big part of Second Life...

Second Life is advertised as being an international place where anyone from around the world can connect.... and i'm pretty sure that every country has it's own set of rules, so why wouldn't they define specific rules instead of making broad statements?

Since SL is in the USA does that mean my avatar has to go to a Christian church each Sunday? These things I don't know because I'm not an American, I don't care for USA, and I don't want to waste my time reading about American law.

I just want to read the LL community standards and TOS and abide by that.

I miss the days when SL used to be fun, i.e. 2 years ago.

What a dick. Any chance of me giving any kind of an answer ended right there.

Interesting, I looked through the Terms of Service and the Community Standards; I found nothing about gambling or games of chance. However, in a blog post from July, http://blog.secondlife.com/2007/07/25/wagering-in-second-life-new-policy/ , I found a post by Robin Linden stating that Second Life gambling and games of chance were prohibited. I went to the Knowledge Base and typed in gambling; I will copy paste what it said in the first link (FAQ) because you would have to log in to the portal to see it. (links to Knowledge base do not work)

Wagering Games FAQ

Frequently asked questions about Second Life's Wagering Games Policy:
Does this policy mean that all simulated gambling in Second Life© is illegal? Have I broken the law by gambling in Second Life?

Our policy is not designed to provide you with legal advice regarding the legality of specific gambling activities in your jurisdiction. It is not a substitute for legal advice, either. Rather, in order to ensure that Residents comply with generally applicable laws, which do not permit wagering on games of chance or sports betting, and also in order to comply with the rules of credit card associations, Second Life's policy is to prohibit inworld gambling activities.

It always has been a basic tenet of Second Life that all Residents are legally responsible for their own activities and for complying with the laws of the local jurisdiction in which they reside. If you are violating our policy, or if you are otherwise concerned that you may be engaging in illegal gambling, you should stop.
What does “wagering” mean according to this policy?

The term “wagering” applies to any covered game or activity (i.e. game of chance, sports betting) in which a user contributes Linden dollars (or real-world money or things of value), whether into a pot, at a table game, at a house game, for purchase of a card (such as Bingo), or in any way risks Linden dollars based on whether an event may or may not occur, such as whether a team will win a sporting event, or whether Barack Obama will win the Democratic primary.
Is this a blanket ban — i.e., is this simply a ban on simulated casinos or all types of gambling?

The ban applies to all games of chance, wagering, or sports betting, where Linden dollars or their equivalents are collected and paid out. The list of games in the policy are only examples. The policy applies to objects and games whether or not they are in a building that you may call an inworld "casino."
Does the policy apply to all games based on real-life sports activities?

The policy prohibits Sports Books or Sports Betting, including the placement or acceptance of bets on actual sporting events (or other real-world events) against a book-maker or through a betting exchange. However, the policy does not prohibit "fantasy sports" leagues if the rules and operation of those games comply with all applicable laws.

Does this policy apply to “skill contests?”

This policy only applies to wagering games that involve an element of chance. This includes, for instance, any game involving random number generation, simulated dice, cards, poker, lotteries, bingo, or any other "chance" game. Games of pure intellectual or physical skill, such as puzzles or other skill contests, may not fall under this definition.

If your game or contest does not meet the above criteria, it is not restricted under this policy, but other applicable laws and local practice may apply, and you are expected to conduct your activities in Second Life in a legal way.

Please note that this policy does not give you guidance on what your legal obligations are -- as noted above, that is your responsibility to determine.

Are legal promotional sweepstakes permitted?

If you are conducting a genuine promotional sweepstakes, that complies with all applicable laws, and can demonAs thingstrate that compliance, that activity will likely be permitted.

What about games in which no Linden dollars or other "consideration" is accepted?

If entry is truly "free" (as with a promotional sweepstakes), and the game’s operator requires no "consideration" or payment from other players or entrants, then that activity will likely be permitted, assuming compliance with all other applicable laws.

What about games in which no Linden dollars or other "consideration" is paid out?

If the "payout" involves objects that are more akin to novelty objects that cannot readily be converted into Linden dollars, real-world currency or value, then that activity will likely be permitted.

How will you enforce this measure? How can you detect these games?

Our staff will review, investigate and respond to appropriate notices. When we discover objects or games within Second Life that meet the policy's definition, we will remove them from Second Life. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account, and repeat offenders will be suspended or terminated.

What will the consequences be for those who continue to play or operate games that fall under this policy?

Any user who violates the policy or our Terms of Service more than once will be suspended, and may be terminated. Linden Lab will also comply with validly issued subpoenas in connection with law enforcement investigations and legal actions.

I live somewhere where online gambling is not illegal. Does this policy apply to me?

It does. This policy applies to all users of Second Life. However, it isn't intended to necessarily describe what is or isn't legal for any particular resident or in any particular place. Rather, it describes what Linden Lab believes is must do in order to maintain an atmosphere in which all applicable laws are respected, as well as U.S. credit card association and other relevant rules and guidelines.

Will this take effect immediately? Will there be reimbursement involved for virtual casino owners?

* It will take effect immediately.
* Second Life Residents are responsible for their own behavior and compliance with the policy.
* There will be no reimbursement if Linden Lab removes objects or activities that violate this policy.

These FAQs are intended to be helpful to you. They supplement but do not alter or amend the policy itself or our Terms of Service. We reserve the right to revisit this policy and any other of our policies.



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I'm surprised they have not added something about this to the TOS. I've heard the debate over sploders being games of chance, which they are, so I assume they are now prohibited. Is this true?

but this is american law and not simply 'the law'. its not nearly as obvious as trading kiddie porn or whatnot.

There is no direct way to link this but its in the knowledge base when you type in casino

just go into the suppot portal and type in gambling and casino and you get most of the answers you seek

Knowledge Base
Second Life Info > Knowledge Base > Policies >

Wagering Games FAQ



Frequently asked questions about Second Life's Wagering Games Policy:

Does this policy mean that all simulated gambling in Second Life© is illegal? Have I broken the law by gambling in Second Life?
Our policy is not designed to provide you with legal advice regarding the legality of specific gambling activities in your jurisdiction. It is not a substitute for legal advice, either. Rather, in order to ensure that Residents comply with generally applicable laws, which do not permit wagering on games of chance or sports betting, and also in order to comply with the rules of credit card associations, Second Life's policy is to prohibit inworld gambling activities.

It always has been a basic tenet of Second Life that all Residents are legally responsible for their own activities and for complying with the laws of the local jurisdiction in which they reside. If you are violating our policy, or if you are otherwise concerned that you may be engaging in illegal gambling, you should stop.

What does “wagering” mean according to this policy?
The term “wagering” applies to any covered game or activity (i.e. game of chance, sports betting) in which a user contributes Linden dollars (or real-world money or things of value), whether into a pot, at a table game, at a house game, for purchase of a card (such as Bingo), or in any way risks Linden dollars based on whether an event may or may not occur, such as whether a team will win a sporting event, or whether Barack Obama will win the Democratic primary.

Is this a blanket ban — i.e., is this simply a ban on simulated casinos or all types of gambling?
The ban applies to all games of chance, wagering, or sports betting, where Linden dollars or their equivalents are collected and paid out. The list of games in the policy are only examples. The policy applies to objects and games whether or not they are in a building that you may call an inworld "casino."

Does the policy apply to all games based on real-life sports activities?
The policy prohibits Sports Books or Sports Betting, including the placement or acceptance of bets on actual sporting events (or other real-world events) against a book-maker or through a betting exchange. However, the policy does not prohibit "fantasy sports" leagues if the rules and operation of those games comply with all applicable laws.


Does this policy apply to “skill contests?”

This policy only applies to wagering games that involve an element of chance. This includes, for instance, any game involving random number generation, simulated dice, cards, poker, lotteries, bingo, or any other "chance" game. Games of pure intellectual or physical skill, such as puzzles or other skill contests, may not fall under this definition.

If your game or contest does not meet the above criteria, it is not restricted under this policy, but other applicable laws and local practice may apply, and you are expected to conduct your activities in Second Life in a legal way.

Please note that this policy does not give you guidance on what your legal obligations are -- as noted above, that is your responsibility to determine.


Are legal promotional sweepstakes permitted?

If you are conducting a genuine promotional sweepstakes, that complies with all applicable laws, and can demonAs thingstrate that compliance, that activity will likely be permitted.


What about games in which no Linden dollars or other "consideration" is accepted?

If entry is truly "free" (as with a promotional sweepstakes), and the game’s operator requires no "consideration" or payment from other players or entrants, then that activity will likely be permitted, assuming compliance with all other applicable laws.


What about games in which no Linden dollars or other "consideration" is paid out?

If the "payout" involves objects that are more akin to novelty objects that cannot readily be converted into Linden dollars, real-world currency or value, then that activity will likely be permitted.


How will you enforce this measure? How can you detect these games?

Our staff will review, investigate and respond to appropriate notices. When we discover objects or games within Second Life that meet the policy's definition, we will remove them from Second Life. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account, and repeat offenders will be suspended or terminated.


What will the consequences be for those who continue to play or operate games that fall under this policy?

Any user who violates the policy or our Terms of Service more than once will be suspended, and may be terminated. Linden Lab will also comply with validly issued subpoenas in connection with law enforcement investigations and legal actions.


I live somewhere where online gambling is not illegal. Does this policy apply to me?

It does. This policy applies to all users of Second Life. However, it isn't intended to necessarily describe what is or isn't legal for any particular resident or in any particular place. Rather, it describes what Linden Lab believes is must do in order to maintain an atmosphere in which all applicable laws are respected, as well as U.S. credit card association and other relevant rules and guidelines.


Will this take effect immediately? Will there be reimbursement involved for virtual casino owners?
It will take effect immediately.
Second Life Residents are responsible for their own behavior and compliance with the policy.
There will be no reimbursement if Linden Lab removes objects or activities that violate this policy.
These FAQs are intended to be helpful to you. They supplement but do not alter or amend the policy itself or our Terms of Service. We reserve the right to revisit this policy and any other of our policies.


*pages and pages on this issue in the knowledge base* makes my eyes glaze over

cues Twilight Zone Music....

Buut.... a Blog post isn't the TOS nor is it the community standards, so please someone give me the location of where it specifically says gambling is illegal.

I vaguely remember there was TOS update where I had to click accept where it said something about the gambling ban during summer.
Was this my imagination or what?

ahah see i knew that this was not just such an innocent question

I would ask that you apply your own logic to the rest of your questions and in doing so you will find the answer is still beer and 42