Are raffles legal in the US?

gmcole said:
I wasn't going to say anything but...I'm having trouble understanding why someone would start this thread, especially, someone who joined just a month ago. Why would you go on a "raffle" forum, where people have been and are curently raffling cues, and ask if it were legal.. If you want information about cues and how to use them etc., this is the best place in the world,IMHO. If you want legal advise, talk to an attorney or, go to an attorney forum and ask. It is obvious what the AZ site owners believe, ( they have a raffle section). There are alot of members that don't care for raffles, now that raffles have a seperate section, they don't ever have to see the raffle threads. If you don't like, believe in , or disagree with raffles, don't visit this section.
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Maybe he's the "Fed"..... :eek:
 
nah if hes a fed hes a paper pusher!!! too dumb to actually be settin us up!!!

this is small fish in the big sea!!! more money elswhere for them on the net!!!
 
ersatzplayer said:
Sorry about the basic question. I am new to this forum and just discovered the raffle section. Aren't raffles illegal in the United States? I'm not an expert in this area, but here's what I think the law says:

A lottery is:
"A gambling scheme in which consideration is taken in return for the offering of a prize that will be given on the basis of chance and not merit. 212 F. 662. The use of interstate commerce, the U.S. Mail, or radio or television to distribute or advertise a lottery constitutes a federal crime. 18 U.S.C. ??1301 et seq. However, these laws do not apply to any lottery conducted by a state, 18 U.S.C. ?1307, nor to a sweepstakes (for which no consideration is required) conducted by a business entity."

To me that means raffling a cue (prize) for money (consideration) using a powerball or whatever (chance not merit) is illegal. Using the internet for it (interstate commerce) makes this a federal crime.

Am I missing something? Is there an exception I don't know of? I thought this was the reason ebay doesn't allow raffles...

Maybe one of the experienced rafflers can clear this up for me, cause some of these cues sure look great! :D

Thanks!
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Please do an Archive search, you will find all the information you need, this topic has been tossed around and around to no good end. However, the Raffles continue and those who wish to participate do, and those who don't continue to bring up the law.;)

Take care!!!!!:grin:
 
Not sure why this keeps being re-hashed. If you think you're going to jail then dont worry about us that enter the raffles. As bad as the market is right now I dont blame the ones that are using raffles to sell their cues. Unless its a SW or a Ginacue its hard to get its full value any other way. Sell it anyway you can IMHO.
 
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