Poker / Gambling Legal way to play?

[mgators]

What is the name of your state? FL

Is it still gambling and illegal if say you have a poker tournament (texas holdem') where money is collected to play and chips are given to use. Then people play and they don't win cash back but they win a prize, let's say tickets to Disney World.

So they are paying for a chance to win tickets to Disney World.

Thanks,
mgators

 

[FlyingRon]

What is the name of your state? FL

Is it still gambling and illegal if say you have a poker tournament (texas holdem') where money is collected to play and chips are given to use. Then people play and they don't win cash back but they win a prize, let's say tickets to Disney World.

So they are paying for a chance to win tickets to Disney World.

Not legal in Florida and most other states as well. What happens to the money? In Florida you can't operate a "house of gambling" which is what the above sounds like. The home game rule has severe limitations on pot size and forbids the "house" from taking a rake.

 

[faithnlve]

check with your state gaming laws. Florida has bingo. So, if you set it up with a non profit organization to benefit them, it might be legal to hold a texas holdem tournament. You are allowed to deduct expenses from the proceeds. You can also call the attorney general in your state to get the legalities to what you can and cannot do. Faith

 

[FlyingRon]

Nope, charity gambling is pretty tightly limited by Florida statue. Bingo is authorized as well as straight raffle (drawing a ticket of the winner). Any more elaborate lottery or gambling scheme is NOT allowed.

You want to play real poker in Florida, go to one of the Indian casinos. They got a pretty big poker room in the Seminole's Hollywood.