Calcutta Cease & Desist Order in Washington State

Jedco

Jedco

Well-known member
I work in the casino gaming industry and I received a notice that the Washington State Gambling Commission issued a cease and desist order to Victory's Auction Pro, a company running Calcutta tournaments, apparently over the internet. The notice doesn't provide much detail, but states that Calcutta wagering systems are illegal in Washington State.

The exact text of the notice is as follows:

https://wsgc.wa.gov/news/2025/calcutta-billiards-tournaments-and-victorys-auction-pro

Calcutta billiards tournaments and Victory’s Auction Pro​


The Washington State Gambling Commission issued a cease and desist notice to Victory’s Auction Pro, an unlicensed organization operating illegal Calcutta billiards tournaments in Washington.

A Calcutta billiards tournament is an auction-pool wagering system held in conjunction with a pool tournament with multiple entrants. The tournament prize pot and the Calcutta pot are different and separate pots. The Calcutta is a side pot where players are wagering money on the game in the hopes of receiving more than what they put in. Participants bid on players, with the highest bidder winning the rights to that player, and payouts based on the player’s performance in the tournament. These types of Calcutta wagering systems are illegal in Washington State and constitute a violation of RCW 9.46.0269 – Professional Gambling. Victory’s Auction Pro and participants (who may not even know they are wagering illegally) are in violation of RCW 9.46.0269 by participating in Calcutta billiards tournaments.

Our investigation also determined that Victory’s Auction Pro is advertising these Calcutta billiards tournaments online through websites like Facebook. By transmitting gambling information over the internet, Victory’s Auction Pro is in violation of RCW 9.46.240, which is a class C felony.
 
Jedco said:
I work in the casino gaming industry and I received a notice that the Washington State Gambling Commission issued a cease and desist order to Victory's Auction Pro, a company running Calcutta tournaments, apparently over the internet. The notice doesn't provide much detail, but states that Calcutta wagering systems are illegal in Washington State.

The exact text of the notice is as follows:

https://wsgc.wa.gov/news/2025/calcutta-billiards-tournaments-and-victorys-auction-pro

Calcutta billiards tournaments and Victory’s Auction Pro​


The Washington State Gambling Commission issued a cease and desist notice to Victory’s Auction Pro, an unlicensed organization operating illegal Calcutta billiards tournaments in Washington.

A Calcutta billiards tournament is an auction-pool wagering system held in conjunction with a pool tournament with multiple entrants. The tournament prize pot and the Calcutta pot are different and separate pots. The Calcutta is a side pot where players are wagering money on the game in the hopes of receiving more than what they put in. Participants bid on players, with the highest bidder winning the rights to that player, and payouts based on the player’s performance in the tournament. These types of Calcutta wagering systems are illegal in Washington State and constitute a violation of RCW 9.46.0269 – Professional Gambling. Victory’s Auction Pro and participants (who may not even know they are wagering illegally) are in violation of RCW 9.46.0269 by participating in Calcutta billiards tournaments.

Our investigation also determined that Victory’s Auction Pro is advertising these Calcutta billiards tournaments online through websites like Facebook. By transmitting gambling information over the internet, Victory’s Auction Pro is in violation of RCW 9.46.240, which is a class C felony.
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"transmitting gambling information over the internet" That is one broad, nonspecific statement.
 
Great explanation of what a Calcutta is.

I REALLY hate the temperance movements wrapped up in their own backhanded market protection. How dare someone cast lots without the state's blessing?!?!

I can't until I get to watch the Pete Rose Hall of Fame induction ceremony brought to us by FanDuel and DraftKings.

Sent from my Pixel 6a using Tapatalk
 
Yep, that state runs a tight ship……
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NathanDetroit said:
So, if no one puts it on line (including the tournament not putting it on advertising), will anyone care?
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Sounds like Washington state would still care lol.

I think most of the calcuttas that get found out are because somebody who was mad at the people running them or mad at the venue reports them, or someone running a competing event/tour reports them. I don't think there are many pool players who find calcuttas morally objectionable, nor do I think state officials are just happening to run across these Facebook pages etc by accident, but maybe I'm wrong.
 
I participated in several of these by this company. Some of the tournaments I was participating as a player, some I was not. I also made a "test" auction with my own account using this site to try it out and see how it worked from the TD's side. The site doesn't collect a dime. It's just a website that has a counter for each "lot", which in our case is players. The site could be used to auction off belongings just the same. It might have even been started with that intent.

Funny, there is zero advertising on the site. It's just all plain text, no graphics, no ads, no nothing. That's why I was so surprised they didn't take a cut of anything.

I wonder if a pool player or someone similar with a programming background just developed it in his spare time for TD's and offered it for free to anyone.
 
BTW, users in WA State have been blocked from the site as of about 2 weeks ago. One TD I follow was running a tournament and he found out all of his players from WA State couldn't access the site.
 
NathanDetroit said:
So, if no one puts it on line (including the tournament not putting it on advertising), will anyone care?
Click to expand...
If someone holds some grudge or otherwise against the td/ pool hall there could be trouble.

You don't post it online, keep it amongst the players/ railbirds, and hope there isn't a rodent amongst the birds.
 
Calcuttas are on a state by state basis. They are clearly defined in Louisiana, and closely regulated.

The state can completely ban them if they choose. The feds can come in like white on rice if you do anything that can appear to be interstate gambling. They generally warn once and it is a good idea to listen. I am surprised we still have them with the casinos trying to suck in every penny of gambling money.

We can't bet on the rail, players can't bet with the rail, but players can bet with each other. It is called wagering and that is legal after a few judges and politicians got hauled in for betting on golf games!

Hu
 
I honestly hate Calcutta lol I’ve gone to tournaments because they were having a Calcutta. I’m just there to play and compete . I have a job for money so I really don’t give a shit about it but it’s annoying at big tournaments that you sit there for an hour or more while they do the Calcutta bidding. There’s enough sitting at tournaments.. lets get on with it lol
 
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