Legal can sometime be a bit like coding, some laws in this domain are still changing (ie. France just recently allowed online casinos). My advise is use the most common denominator in your space, launch and tweak, it's like coding. That's what most successful companies have done. You don't get in much trouble until you have a certain level of success. Of course you need to have a good approach, good intentions and know what you are doing. But you can never really know it all, so that's my advice.
Ask HN: Is it legal if my webapp rewards the winners with a gift certificate
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Re: Ask HN: Is it legal if my webapp rewards the winners with a gift certificate
#12Legal can sometime be a bit like coding, some laws in this domain are still changing (ie. France just recently allowed online casinos). My advise is use the most common denominator in your space, launch and tweak, it's like coding. That's what most successful companies have done. You don't get in much trouble until you have a certain level of success. Of course you need to have a good approach, good intentions and kn…
Btw if the users are paying, predicting the outcomes of a match is definitely gambling (like gambling on horses), so simply look at the laws for online gambling. Since it's online, most likely only the laws of the state where you host are applied (even for foreign countries, that's how French could play on online casinos before). You might simply host that feature and a subsidiary for it in a state with online-gambling friendly laws. Maybe Nevada, maybe some states or countries have no laws at all on it and even no taxes.
If it's free I'd say it either fall in (free) lottery or contest, it's hard to tell. Either way your best approach is simply host it in a state with no laws at all on the matter. Or if you have a good way to justify it is neither lottery or contest you might as well be fine anywhere.
Re: Ask HN: Is it legal if my webapp rewards the winners with a gift certificate
#13Below is the extract from Google Code In Contest.
4. ELIGIBILITY: The Contest is open to individual students who are at least thirteen (13) years of age and no older than eighteen (18) years of age on November 22, 2010 who are currently enrolled in a pre-university, high school or secondary school program, and who have agreed to these Rules (“Participants”). You must demonstrate the consent of a parent or legal guardian in order to be eligible to receive any prizes as well as written proof of age and proof of enrollment in a pre-university, high school or secondary school program. The Contest is not open to residents of Cuba, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Sudan, Myanmar (Burma), or to other individuals restricted by U.S. export controls and sanctions, and is void in any other nation, state, or province where prohibited or restricted by U.S. or local law. Employees, interns, contractors, and official office-holders of (1) Google, (2) participating Open Source Organizations, (3) the parent companies, affiliates and subsidiaries of either Google or any participating Open Source Organization, and members of their immediate families (defined as parents, children, siblings and spouse, regardless of where they reside, and/or those living in the same household of each) are ineligible to participate in the Contest. You must have access to the Internet and either have or sign up for a free Google Account in order to enter.
http://www.google-melange.com/document/show/gci_program/goog...
Will I be covered if I add similar text on the Eligibility page/section on my app. Is there anything else that I need to consider.
Re: Ask HN: Is it legal if my webapp rewards the winners with a gift certificate
#14There are a few comments from when this was submitted by the same person yesterday:
Re: Ask HN: Is it legal if my webapp rewards the winners with a gift certificate
#15There are a few comments from when this was submitted by the same person yesterday: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2014626
Yes. I have mentioned it one of the comment. See below