Kestryll
08-01-2008, 02:31 PM
The threads about the raffle have been temporarily deleted, there are some concerns about a 'for profit' business running a raffle in California.
It is my understanding that only non-profits [501(c)3] can offer raffle tickets for sale. Since Calguns is being used as a vehicle for announcing and selling tickets there is also concern for our liability.
Once a solid opinion on the applicable laws is reached I will post it here.
CALIFORNIA CODES
PENAL CODE
SECTION 319-329
319. A lottery is any scheme for the disposal or distribution of
property by chance, among persons who have paid or promised to pay
any valuable consideration for the chance of obtaining such property
or a portion of it, or for any share or any interest in such
property, upon any agreement, understanding, or expectation that it
is to be distributed or disposed of by lot or chance, whether called
a lottery, raffle, or gift enterprise, or by whatever name the same
may be known.
320. Every person who contrives, prepares, sets up, proposes, or
draws any lottery, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
321. Every person who sells, gives, or in any manner whatever,
furnishes or transfers to or for any other person any ticket, chance,
share, or interest, or any paper, certificate, or instrument
purporting or understood to be or to represent any ticket, chance,
share, or interest in, or depending upon the event of any lottery, is
guilty of a misdemeanor.
322. Every person who aids or assists, either by printing, writing,
advertising, publishing, or otherwise in setting up, managing, or
drawing any lottery, or in selling or disposing of any ticket,
chance, or share therein, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
323. Every person who opens, sets up, or keeps, by himself or by
any other person, any office or other place for the sale of, or for
registering the number of any ticket in any lottery, or who, by
printing, writing, or otherwise, advertises or publishes the setting
up, opening, or using of any such office, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
324. Every person who insures or receives any consideration for
insuring for or against the drawing of any ticket in any lottery
whatever, whether drawn or to be drawn within this State or not, or
who receives any valuable consideration upon any agreement to repay
any sum, or deliver the same, or any other property, if any lottery
ticket or number of any ticket in any lottery shall prove fortunate
or unfortunate, or shall be drawn or not be drawn, at any particular
time or in any particular order, or who promises or agrees to pay any
sum of money, or to deliver any goods, things in action, or
property, or to forbear to do anything for the benefit of any person,
with or without consideration, upon any event or contingency
dependent on the drawing of any ticket in any lottery, or who
publishes any notice or proposal of any of the purposes aforesaid, is
guilty of a misdemeanor.
325. All moneys and property offered for sale or distribution in
violation of any of the provisions of this chapter are forfeited to
the state, and may be recovered by information filed, or by an action
brought by the Attorney General, or by any district attorney, in the
name of the state. Upon the filing of the information or complaint,
the clerk of the court must issue an attachment against the property
mentioned in the complaint or information, which attachment has the
same force and effect against such property, and is issued in the
same manner as attachments issued from the superior courts in civil
cases.
326. Every person who lets, or permits to be used, any building or
vessel, or any portion thereof, knowing that it is to be used for
setting up, managing, or drawing any lottery, or for the purpose of
selling or disposing of lottery tickets, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
329. Upon a trial for the violation of any of the provisions of
this chapter, it is not necessary to prove the existence of any
lottery in which any lottery ticket purports to have been issued, or
to prove the actual signing of any such ticket or share, or
pretended ticket or share, of any pretended lottery, nor that any
lottery ticket, share, or interest was signed or issued by the
authority of any manager, or of any person assuming to have authority
as manager; but in all cases proof of the sale, furnishing,
bartering, or procuring of any ticket, share, or interest therein, or
of any instrument purporting to be a ticket, or part or share of any
such ticket, is evidence that such share or interest was signed and
issued according to the purport thereof.
It is my understanding that only non-profits [501(c)3] can offer raffle tickets for sale. Since Calguns is being used as a vehicle for announcing and selling tickets there is also concern for our liability.
Once a solid opinion on the applicable laws is reached I will post it here.
CALIFORNIA CODES
PENAL CODE
SECTION 319-329
319. A lottery is any scheme for the disposal or distribution of
property by chance, among persons who have paid or promised to pay
any valuable consideration for the chance of obtaining such property
or a portion of it, or for any share or any interest in such
property, upon any agreement, understanding, or expectation that it
is to be distributed or disposed of by lot or chance, whether called
a lottery, raffle, or gift enterprise, or by whatever name the same
may be known.
320. Every person who contrives, prepares, sets up, proposes, or
draws any lottery, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
321. Every person who sells, gives, or in any manner whatever,
furnishes or transfers to or for any other person any ticket, chance,
share, or interest, or any paper, certificate, or instrument
purporting or understood to be or to represent any ticket, chance,
share, or interest in, or depending upon the event of any lottery, is
guilty of a misdemeanor.
322. Every person who aids or assists, either by printing, writing,
advertising, publishing, or otherwise in setting up, managing, or
drawing any lottery, or in selling or disposing of any ticket,
chance, or share therein, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
323. Every person who opens, sets up, or keeps, by himself or by
any other person, any office or other place for the sale of, or for
registering the number of any ticket in any lottery, or who, by
printing, writing, or otherwise, advertises or publishes the setting
up, opening, or using of any such office, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
324. Every person who insures or receives any consideration for
insuring for or against the drawing of any ticket in any lottery
whatever, whether drawn or to be drawn within this State or not, or
who receives any valuable consideration upon any agreement to repay
any sum, or deliver the same, or any other property, if any lottery
ticket or number of any ticket in any lottery shall prove fortunate
or unfortunate, or shall be drawn or not be drawn, at any particular
time or in any particular order, or who promises or agrees to pay any
sum of money, or to deliver any goods, things in action, or
property, or to forbear to do anything for the benefit of any person,
with or without consideration, upon any event or contingency
dependent on the drawing of any ticket in any lottery, or who
publishes any notice or proposal of any of the purposes aforesaid, is
guilty of a misdemeanor.
325. All moneys and property offered for sale or distribution in
violation of any of the provisions of this chapter are forfeited to
the state, and may be recovered by information filed, or by an action
brought by the Attorney General, or by any district attorney, in the
name of the state. Upon the filing of the information or complaint,
the clerk of the court must issue an attachment against the property
mentioned in the complaint or information, which attachment has the
same force and effect against such property, and is issued in the
same manner as attachments issued from the superior courts in civil
cases.
326. Every person who lets, or permits to be used, any building or
vessel, or any portion thereof, knowing that it is to be used for
setting up, managing, or drawing any lottery, or for the purpose of
selling or disposing of lottery tickets, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
329. Upon a trial for the violation of any of the provisions of
this chapter, it is not necessary to prove the existence of any
lottery in which any lottery ticket purports to have been issued, or
to prove the actual signing of any such ticket or share, or
pretended ticket or share, of any pretended lottery, nor that any
lottery ticket, share, or interest was signed or issued by the
authority of any manager, or of any person assuming to have authority
as manager; but in all cases proof of the sale, furnishing,
bartering, or procuring of any ticket, share, or interest therein, or
of any instrument purporting to be a ticket, or part or share of any
such ticket, is evidence that such share or interest was signed and
issued according to the purport thereof.