Hello lynnmc41-ga,
Before I begin with my answer, I refer you to the disclaimer on the
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I am not a lawyer, but do know the law. I always reccomend though to
check with a lawyer before entering into any situation which could be
deemed illegal. You can usually can find a lawyer in your area willing
to do a free initial consultation that will answer a few basic
questions.
http://thewaterslawoffice.com/
Offers a free initial consultation in entertainment law. You can contact them at:
2430 Waters Avenue
Savannah, Georgia 31404
Telephone: 912-495-0411
Fax: 912-495-0412
isaacsonlaw@aol.com
According to the Georgia Gambling laws it would seem that internet
bingo is not legal if it is a "for profit" organization running the
bingo game. Let me explain why.
According to Georgia Legal Code
16-12-21.
(a) A person commits the offense of gambling when he:
(1) Makes a bet upon the partial or final result of any game or
contest or upon the performance of any participant in such game or
contest;
(2) Makes a bet upon the result of any political nomination,
appointment, or election or upon the degree of success of any nominee,
appointee, or candidate; or
(3) Plays and bets for money or other thing of value at any game
played with cards, dice, or balls.
(b) A person who commits the offense of gambling shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
Number 3 is the big one.
Now, when I looked up Bingo specifically, I got this information
16-12-50.
It is the intention of the General Assembly that, except for
recreational bingo, only nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations which are
properly licensed pursuant to this part shall be allowed to operate
bingo games
16-12-51
(1) 'Bingo game' or 'nonprofit bingo game' means a game of chance
played on cards with numbered squares in which counters or indicators
are placed on numbers chosen by lot and won by covering a previously
specified number or order of numbered squares. ***A bingo game may be
played manually or with an electronic or computer device that stores
the numbers from a player´s card or cards, tracks the numbers chosen
by lot when such numbers are entered by the player, and notifies the
player of a winning combination.*** Such words, terms, or phrases, as
used in this paragraph, shall be strictly construed to include only
the series of acts generally defined as bingo and shall exclude all
other activity.
(2) 'Bingo session' means a time period during which bingo games are played.
(3) 'Director' means the director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
(4) 'Operate,' 'operated,' or 'operating' means the direction,
supervision, management, operation, control, or guidance of activity.
(5) 'Recreational bingo' means a bingo session operated by any person
or entity at no charge to participants in which the prizes for each
bingo game during the bingo session shall be noncash prizes and the
total of such prizes for each such game shall not exceed the amount
established pursuant to regulations established by the director. No
such noncash prize awarded in recreational bingo shall be exchanged or
redeemed for money or for any other prize with a value in excess of
the amount established pursuant to regulations established by the
director. Recreational bingo shall also include a bingo session
operated by a nonprofit, tax-exempt licensed operator of bingo games
at no charge to participants in which the participants are senior
citizens attending a function at a facility of the tax-exempt licensed
organization or are residents of nursing homes, retirement homes,
senior centers, or hospitals and in which the prizes for each bingo
game during the bingo session shall be nominal cash prizes not to
exceed $5.00 for any single prize and the total of such prizes for
each such game shall not exceed the amount established pursuant to
regulations established by the director. Recreational bingo shall also
include a bingo session operated by an employer with ten or more
full-time employees for the purposes of providing a safe workplace
incentive and in which the prizes are determined by the employer;
provided, however, that no monetary consideration is required by any
participant other than the employer and the employer expressly
prohibits any monetary consideration from any employee. Recreational
bingo shall not be considered a lottery as defined in paragraph (4) of
Code Section 16-12-20 or a form of gambling as defined in Code Section
16-12-21.
http://www.legis.state.ga.us/cgi-bin/gl_codes_detail.pl?code=16-12-21
So, it looks like this is a tricky mess :)
Most internet gaming sites are not non profit, therefore, it's more
than likely illegal, once gain though, I recomend speaking with a
lawyer for your EXACT situation.
If this answer requires further explanation, please request
clarification before rating it, and I'll be happy to look into this
further.
Nenna-GA
Google Answers Researcher |
