Playing games of skill for money online

[geormiet]

I like to play games online like starcraft on battlenet. If blizzard decided they wanted to allow their players to make bets on the outcome of the matches, could they do this legally on US soil?

[revots33]

[ QUOTE ]
I like to play games online like starcraft on battlenet. If blizzard decided they wanted to allow their players to make bets on the outcome of the matches, could they do this legally on US soil?

[/ QUOTE ]

no click a mouse lose ur house that kid who robbed a bank ZOOOOOOMG what about the children??? etc etc

[cardcounter0]

Football is a game of skill. You can not bet on those matches online legally.

[deuces allin]

football is not what he OP asked about. Football is a sporting "contest" in which the people betting are not actually participating, and is fairly defined in the 1961 wire act as being against the law to wager on. While video gaming is a contest in which you yourself are the participant, and placing a wager on yourself. I have wondered the same thing as OP. Have even read a few articles that a few companies were coming that handled these bets.

I am not an expert but i believe if you eliminate the element of chance it becomes legal to bet on yourself in any contest of skill. Although it may not be legal to "middleman" such wagers.

It depends on how liberal the courts want to take the "element of chance" issue. Even playing starcraft there is a "chance" that your house could burn down causing you to lose while in the middle of a game. Looking at it this way every contest has an element of chance involved.

[hasugopher]

or you draw [censored] 6 on LT

[ozziepat]

Isn't the chance associated with a non-predetermined outcome essential to the notion of a contest? And if so, how could any contest not involve an element of chance?