If gaming sims are illegal in SL, why are there so many of them and why are they not being policed ?

[honeycream Msarko]

Alot of gaming sims out there clearly ripping people off for their lindens. I know people are in control of whatever they do inworld, but surely, if someone wants to play games in there, they can but at least have a 50/50 chance of winning. Thousands on Lindens are, if you says these sims are illegal, getting taken from hundreds of people on a daily basis.

 

 

 

Edit for reply..... Thanks for your input everyone. This is indeed a sticky question. To me it is gambling, not much skill needed to match up numbers or press buttons. Just a shame the owners of these sims are making disgusting amounts of money off everyone by making machines so tight they might win once every 50-70 games. LoL I think we all got into the wrong business !  Thanks again for your replies.

[eyeye Afterthought]

It's a good question, and one I've pondered on myself.

It seems if it is out and out gambling, just chucking money into a pot on the offchance you might get something back, that is seen as gambling. If you need to think to play the game, and therefore it is a game of skill for which you may reap a reward, this is not seen as gambling.

I am too lazy to go looking for websites about gambling laws in the USA, but you may wish to do so. To clarify what generally is the problem in SL. My opinion is that it doesn't seem to be policed as well as it could be because there aren't enough eyes and ears to see everywhere in SL and people take a chance to open a gambling den or casino type of place, which stands until word gets back to the big boys at LL. Then its curtains for all.

[Rolig Loon]

All I can do is refer you to the Linden Lab policy on gambling to let you see how they define the difference between gaming and gambling.  If you have reason to believe that someone is violating this policy, you may decide to file an Abuse Report and let LL sort it out.

[Lindal Kidd]

Supposedly, Zyngo and its derivatives are games of skill, and therefore allowed under LL's gambling policy.  Many people have remarked that poker is ALSO a game of skill, but is not allowed, and asked why.

My own cynical opinion is that LL feels that no one outside of SL knows about Zyngo, whereas everyone knows about poker.  So they ban the one and allow the other.

If you feel strongly about it, you can AR the gambling establishments, but it will still be up to LL to determine whether they fall within the rules or not.

But my advice would be to leave them alone.  Back before gambling was forbidden in SL, we had a lot more economic activity.  People poured $L into SL via the games, and had fun besides.  Most players realized that in the long run they couldn't win, but the prospect of winning in the short run was too much fun to resist.  If you ask me, we should stop trying to save people from themselves and let everyone go to hell in their own way.

[eyeye Afterthought]

Hey Rolig, you're bright. Can you help out on this other thread? http://community.secondlife.com/t5/Technical/Viewer-3-4-4-268864-on-Mac-Can-anyone-tell-me-why-my-audio-doesn/qaq-p/1833791/comment-id/29493