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How to Legally Run an Online Gambling Website

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  • 12-25-2013, 09:31 PM
    MJay1989
    How to Legally Run an Online Gambling Website
    Firstly, I'm not sure if this is the correct forum, if not I apologize.

    I own my own forums, its just a small community that play the same online game. I've decided to make the forum as fun as possible by adding an arcade and other features in the future. One of the features I plan to add is a forum currency, this is where I need some advice. I want to add a gambling forum where members can bet against each other or the booky (myself) using the forum currency. Although it IS gambling because we will be using forum currency (fake money) is it legal?

    Lets say it is legal and I can proceed with my gambling forum plans. If I was then to add an option where members can buy forum currency (use real money to buy fake money) and then gamble with the forum currency, would it still be legal? I would not be paying any taxes or declaring payments I receive for forum currency.

    Then my plan is to make it so players can "cash out" their forum currency for real money. They'll make bets against the booky (myself) using the forum currency that they will buy with real money. When they cash out I will exchange the forum currency for real money payment.

    To me this seems like a business but its just for fun and to make/lose a couple of £ here and there.

    Basically I want to know how legal all this is and how far I can go before it will be illegal, maybe its all fine until real money is involved.

    I hope I explained this well enough.
  • 12-25-2013, 09:35 PM
    Lehk
    Re: Forum Gambling
    all of that is illegal
  • 12-25-2013, 09:47 PM
    MJay1989
    Re: Forum Gambling
    Ok, what if no real cash is used. Forum currency has no real cash value. Its just fake money used for fun. Is it still illegal?
  • 12-25-2013, 10:10 PM
    Mr. Knowitall
    Re: Forum Gambling
    This would be the same fake money you just told us can be exchanged for real money?
  • 12-25-2013, 10:17 PM
    MJay1989
    Re: Forum Gambling
    Nothing is set in stone yet. It was just an idea that the fake money could be exchanged for real money.

    Now I am asking if its just fake money we gamble with (has no real cash value) would it still be illegal. It would be like playing poker with match sticks (no real money is involved).
  • 12-25-2013, 10:42 PM
    Dogmatique
    Re: Forum Gambling
    OP is in UK....just FYI.
  • 12-26-2013, 06:59 AM
    MJay1989
    Re: Forum Gambling
    Yes, sorry. I am from the UK. I forgot laws are different in the US and other countries. Although 80% of the community are from the US and 15% are canadian leaving only a couple of us from the UK.

    I guess the exchanging of real money would be illegal. How about just the fake money though. The money is completely worthless and has no real cash value.
  • 12-26-2013, 07:08 AM
    flyingron
    Re: Forum Gambling
    We can't talk about UK laws see www.thelawforum.co.uk.

    US law bans any of the banks and credit card processors from forwarding money to or from such operations off-shore.
    You should also note that the US Federal government has interdicted domain names of violators.
  • 12-26-2013, 08:00 AM
    MJay1989
    Re: Forum Gambling
    I've not come here to break any laws. I am simply trying to find out what is illegal before I go ahead and do it. If it is illegal then I will not go ahead with the idea. Also thank you for your time and the link to the UK forums. I assumed it would have something to do with US laws because it will be 80% US members.
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