Does anyone know what is happening regarding Clubs and running contests, so confused????

[EllieBrookes]

we are hearing so much about skill gaming legistation right now and my husband and I run a country club with contests that run and we have match fishing on our sim also that we dont know if we are going to lose our livelihood

 

Can anyone help with this

[Madelaine McMasters]

Hi Ellie,

We're residents just like you, so we have no special insight into the skill gaming changes. There's a very long winded thread on the topic here...

http://community.secondlife.com/t5/General-Discussion-Forum/Skill-Gaming-Policy-Thread/m-p/2771090

I'll summarize my understanding of the change, but please don't depend on it.

If you are running games in which residents can or do pay in (only the ability to pay in is required, even if people don't avail themselves of it) to a game which also pays out, then the game will need to be located on a gaming registered sim, and the game itself must be registered. I'm not sure what the fees are for doing that, but I did read that the "Reasoned Legal Opinion" that's required by Linden Lab before registration is granted would usually cost $100 or more. I think these RLOs are required to ensure that the game is not a game of chance, which is flat out not allowed in SL.

If you are running games in which it is not possible for people to pay in, or there is no pay out, then you needn't do anything.

I did not follow the discussions of external money flow, as in games where you purchase entry out-world and receive payment out-world, but it seems reasonable to conclude that if an SL game provides the mechanism for money to exchange hands externally, it would still not be allowed.

But, once again, don't depend on my understanding of this. Linden Lab's change to the Terms Of Service to address skill based games is a response to legal requirements. I'm an engineer, and though I sometimes have to deal with lawyers and even have some as friends, it's been my general experience that those people are nuts.

I hope you and your Hubby continue to enjoy a profitable time in SL, and have even more fun in whatever virtual world the Lindens are trying to cook up to lure us in the next couple years. In case you didn't know about that announcement, it's generated even more chatter than the skill gaming changes...

http://community.secondlife.com/t5/General-Discussion-Forum/Linden-Lab-is-building-a-NEW-virtual-world/td-p/2753476

;-).

[Lindal Kidd]

Maddy is right.

A contest that charges an entry fee AND that awards prizes is, arguably, a "skill game".  Although exactly what skill is being employed is open to debate, contests are so open to gaming.  Even if your contest board has the ABILITY to require an entry fee will make it a "skill game" under the new policy.

However, a contest board that can not take entry fees, but DOES award prizes (that you, as the owner, fund) is NOT a "skill game" and you can continue to use it.  A number of game makers are issuing updates to their products to make them "skill game policy compliant."