Charity Casino Nights May be Legalized

The law is a very gray area when it comes to online casino sites as well as land-based casinos. There are ongoing dilemmas regarding online casinos and the legality of allowing citizens within the US to play at online casino sites operating from overseas. But the law can get complicated regarding land-based casino establishments as well. A good example of this concerns the Hayward area of California. For many years, many non-profit groups around the state have organized casino nights to help raise money for worthy causes. But what they might have actually been doing was breaking the law.

Organizations raising money for charity, under state laws, are barred, along with other typical forms of casino gambling. Even if only non-monetary prizes are offered, it is still considered illegal. Newark Assemblyman, Alberto Torrico, has introduced new legislation recently to allow these organizations to use casino gambling to raise money without fear or reprisal. Assembly Bill 839, which also has the backing of Attorney General Bill Lockyer, would revise the Gambling Control Act to allow non-profit groups which are at least 3 years old, to host one casino night per year.

The bill was passed through the Assembly last Monday. This is definitely a step towards accepting casino gambling as a legal form of entertainment within the US. Although it doesn’t pertain to online casino sites or land-based casino gambling in the Hayward area as a legalized act, some type of understanding and balance is slowly being found among state legislatures and casino establishments. Only the future will tell how casino gambling will be viewed in the US in the coming years.