Basic Gambling Laws, state by state

[Minnow]

http://www.gambling-law-us.com/State-Laws/

I was checking this site a couple of weeks ago, upon finding out that the case of a very small local tavern had gone to court after being busted and fined for having a 100 square superbowl grid on their premises. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img]

Click on the name of a State in the table below to read the excerpted text of its basic gambling laws. Websites containing state statutes are available for all states, although they may be out of date. The excerpts presented here are taken from those websites. Gambling-Law-US.com also provides hyperlinks to those websites for most of the gambling laws that are excerpted. It may take a long time before new provisions of a state law are incorporated into the online text the state makes available. Before acting on any information contained in Gambling-Law-US.com you should get up to date and to the point advice from a lawyer.

The excerpts generally include state constitutional provisions specifically about gambling, "aiding and abetting" provisions of the state's criminal laws, the basic criminal gambling laws and some references to the legalized gaming laws in a few of the states.

Gambling-Law-US.com focuses primarily on the state laws applicable to lotteries, social gambling and illegal, unlicensed casino-style, or professional, gambling. Bookmaking, legalized gaming and sports betting laws are generally dealt with in a very summary form, if at all.

[Mr Negative]

myy favorite state law, from the great state of missouri, which makes gambling a felony if you are a "professional"

Gambling.

572.020. 1. A person commits the crime of gambling if he knowingly engages in gambling.

2. Gambling is a class C misdemeanor unless:

(1) It is committed by a professional player, in which case it is a class D felony; or

(2) The person knowingly engages in gambling with a minor, in which case it is a class B misdemeanor.

[Oddessa]

Thanks minnow. I am picking my next state to live after offshore retirement. Colorado and Vermont seem appealing.

[fathead]

Texas seems reasonable. No state income tax there either.

§ 47.02. Gambling

(a) A person commits an offense if he:

(1) makes a bet on the partial or final result of a game or contest or on the performance of a participant in a game or contest;

(2) makes a bet on the result of any political nomination, appointment, or election or on 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, balls, or any other gambling device.

(b) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that:

(1) the actor engaged in gambling in a private place;

(2) no person received any economic benefit other than personal winnings; and

(3) except for the advantage of skill or luck, the risks of losing and the chances of winning were the same for all participants.

[fathead]

Wow, you are right on. If you earn 20% of your income from gambling, you are a professional and it is a felony. Jeez.

Originally posted by: Mr Negative
myy favorite state law, from the great state of missouri, which makes gambling a felony if you are a "professional"

Gambling.

572.020. 1. A person commits the crime of gambling if he knowingly engages in gambling.

2. Gambling is a class C misdemeanor unless:

(1) It is committed by a professional player, in which case it is a class D felony; or

(2) The person knowingly engages in gambling with a minor, in which case it is a class B misdemeanor.

[HOUSTON GAMBLER]

The real shit is what about all those million dollar winners in state lotteries.Of course theyr'e taxed to hell and back.I don't see how it could be difference,they never work again but I guess they wouldn't be professionals.

[Dante]

minnow good link I posted this link awhile back also

[Minnow]

I knew I had seen it before Dante. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

HG, I'd call many lotto bettors professionals.. they are the people I end up standing behind at the mini-mart when all's I wanna do is pay for a slurpee. I might have posted this before, but one night I saw a woman buy a stack of scratch tickets, and then ask the clerk to run them through the machine! Apparently you don't have to scratch them.. the scanner picks out any winners. Now if that wasn't a pro scratch ticket sharp, I don't know who is!

[Bobby C]

I want a job at that mini-mart!!!

Can you see why?