Casinos - dead and gone w/ new policy?

From the blog, Linden just added a new policy on gambling in SL. Does this mean that all casinos in SL will be vanishing for good? If so, huzzah!

Edit: Added the official FAQ at the bottom of the post

The new policy is as follows:
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Policy Regarding Wagering in Second Life

It is a violation of this policy to wager in games in the Second Life© environment operated on Linden Lab servers if such games:

(1) (a) rely on chance or random number generation to determine a winner, OR (b) rely on the outcome of real-life organized sporting events,

AND

(2) provide a payout in

(a) Linden Dollars, OR

(b) any real-world currency or thing of value.

This includes (but is not limited to), for example, Casino Games such as:

o Baccarat
o Blackjack
o Craps
o Faro
o Keno
o Pachinko
o Pai Gow
o Poker
o Roulette
o Sic Bo
o Slot machines

It also includes Sports Books or Sports Betting, including the placing of bets on actual sporting events against a book-maker or through a betting exchange.

Linden Lab will actively enforce this policy. If we discover gambling activities that violate the policy, we will remove all related objects from the inworld environment, may suspend or terminate the accounts of residents involved without refund or payment, and may report any relevant details, including user information, to authorities and financial institutions.





Wagering Games FAQ

1. Does this policy mean that all simulated gambling in Second Life(R) is illegal? Have I broken the law by gambling in Second Life? Can there be any retroactive consequences?

Linden Lab’s policy is not intended to identify which gambling activities may be legal where you live, and we cannot provide legal advice to you. Because gambling activities may be controlled by the law where the bettor lives in some places, and in others affect the operators of wagering games, we have decided to take a broader approach by prohibiting all games that meet the criteria in our policy.

It 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.

2. Is this a blanket ban — i.e. is this simply a ban on simulated casinos or all types of gambling?

The wagering games described in the policy will not be allowed in Second Life. It applies to objects and games whether or not they are in a building that you may call an inworld “casino.”

3. What kind of wagering games are affected?

The policy applies to gambling games which:

(1) (a) rely on chance or random number generation to determine a winner, OR (b) rely on the outcome of real-life organized sporting events,

AND

(2) provide a payout in

(a) Linden Dollars, OR

(b) any real-world currency or thing of value.

4. Does the policy apply to all games based on real-life sports activities?

The policy prohibits Sports Books or Sports Betting, including the placing of bets on actual sporting 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.

5. Does this policy apply to “skill contests?”

This policy only applies to wagering games that meet the criteria listed above. If your game or contest does not meet the above criteria, it is not restricted under this policy, but applicable laws and local practice may impose additional requirements on you. This policy does not give you guidance on what your legal obligations are – as noted above, that is your responsibility to determine.

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

Our staff will review, investigate and respond to appropriate notices. We may retain additional staff or services to conduct this activity. When we discover objects or games within Second Life that meet the policy’s definition, we will remove them from Second Life.

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

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

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

This policy applies to all use of Second Life. It isn’t intended to describe what is or isn’t legal for any particular resident or in any particular place. It describes what Linden Lab believes is appropriate to maintain its business requirements and to operate Second Life.

9. Will this take effect immediately? How will it work procedurally to shut down? 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.

Is this for REAL?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG. I see a little light at the end of the looong tunnel...

It sure sounds like casino gaming is gone.

So what does this do to Slingo and its derivatives, or even sploders?

Grab onto something fast. Another mass freakout is brewing...

well will be interesting to see what all games it does include i will asume lotterys and raffles
will go bye bye as well
not sure about slingo and all the other games out there that arent traditional casino games

It appears so. This is no doubt a result of US law which presumably has no loopholes that feel comfortable to Linden. I would have hoped they could have set a dollar limit below which some forms would be allowed, but that appears to not be the case. An obvious example would be exploders, which (at least at the haunts I visit) have typical payouts less than one US dollar.

Since the policy requires wagers, that suggests that some gadgets that involve chance withouot a wager are still allowed. For example, lucky chairs should be ok. I've also seen devices that give out sums to a person chosen at random within a dance hall, perhaps requiring touching a certain objects. In both these case, the winners don't have to pay anything to be eligible, and hence there's no wager.

I think the only thing to do at this point is for those of us based in the US to lobby Congress to change the law.

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Well as a gambling man who is over 18 I think this a pile of horse dung.

This logically applies to all sploder and raffle balls as well. It should also by extension apply to the virtual stock markets like WSE.

finally lol

I have read the blog they put out but I can't seem to get to the actual TOS on this. Can anyone post this or send a direct link to it.

How long before lindens crack down on this? or will be left to self monitor ourselves?

As chaotic and random as stock markets sometimes appear to be, their behavior is not defined by random number generators or even strictly by chance. I don't think this will apply to them.

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https://support.secondlife.com/ics/support/KBAnswer.asp?questionID=4532

It was also quoted in it's entirety in the original post of this thread <grin/>

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Lucky Chairs sure had BETTER be still ok!

Those are nothing but GIFTS given out.

I asked on the blog what about Bingo, Slingo, etc.; sploders; and raffles.

There is no reason for not being specific about that. Wouldn't be much fun to be running a Bingo game, then getting busted because "you should have known."

Hopefully, they will just tell us.

coco

cool I wont waste any more $ on sploders

geeze duh, sorry. *cleans off glasses*

Hehe, I missed it the first time too, which is why I posted the link. Then I realized that the first post said the exact same thing, so you are not the only one. I think maybe I just kinda glossed over the OP because I'd read the KB article, who knows?


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I can go gambling down at the Indian Reservation in many locations in Wisconsin but not on here using play money,

Those are stock markets in the real world. In Second Life, with few objective ways to value virtual assets, most of which are not even utilized properly in setting stock prices, almost non-existent transparency compared to real world stock markets, and zero regulation there is no realistic way to perform risk assessment and management. It is therefore largely left to chance and exponentially more so than even OTC stocks in the real world. In fact arguably it is left far more to chance then a game of Texas Hold'Em Poker. Any seasoned Hold'em player can calculate their odds and assess risk far more accurately based on the betting patterns of the other players and the cards that lay down on the flop, turn and river than any investor in the virtual stock market.

Also bingo, slingo, anything "ingo" falls under the policy.

It's a gamble whether your letter comes out, If they're going down this conservative bullshit agenda they need to be consistent.

That is perfectly logical, though, isn't it? Your local Indian Reservation has the right to allow gambling, whereas Linden Labs does not.

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So you think that this is simply the result of a conservative agenda? You don't think that they are proactively protecting themselves by following the laws of the country where they do business?

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Well, since it's a gamble whether or not when you purchase something in SL the asset server will actually deliver it, they should prohibit that as well.

coco

Yeah the Indians get that right in exchange for the government still being allowed to steal their land whenever it feels like it.