Comments on: Clear Policy Statement Bans Gambling in Second Life

By: Masal dinle , Masal , Masallar , Çizgi Filim , Çizgi Filim izle Second Life Bans Gambling…Sort Of |

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 18:10:56 +0000

[...] in this month’s Gaming Law Review. Of course, a mere few days later, Virtually Blind reports that Second Life has issued a clear “ban” on in game gambling, making some of the [...]

By: Father Jones

Father Jones — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 23:55:20 +0000

Any teenager can make a free account into the virtual world Second Life. In 2007, newspapers reported that Linden Lab had banned all gambling in Second Life. But now anno 2009 the opposite happened. There is now a form of UNREGULATED hardcore gambling going on with bingo-style games. Most popular one is called Zyngo. Any teenager and adult can freely gamble on those games. Too many people are losing too much money on ‘Zyngo’. And it is for sure a gambling game first class. Talking about too much money, I mean like people playing for 1000 USD in one hour. Did you guys ever searched for high roller places with Zyngo? You can play machines there for 5000 (17 USD)up to 50000 Linden Dollars (175 USD) a game, with pots to win up to 1 million Linden Dollars (3500 USD). I wonder when someone will have the guts to bring this to the right people, the press, the financial company’s Linden Lab is depending on, and also of course the US government,… There are lots of ‘casino’s’ in Second Life made for making huge money, not just the money you need to buy you a pair of shoes, a piece of land and a house to live in your virtual world. Millions of dollars are running around in this gamblingbusiness on Second Life. Anyone doubting my words: just take a look yourself inworld (look for Zyngo in the searchtool).

By: Virtually Blind - Virtual Law | Legal Issues That Impact Virtual Worlds » Blog Archive » From the Editor: Commentary on Active Lawsuits and Unsettled Issues in Virtual Law

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 16:02:51 +0000

[...] Second, where there’s a gray area in the law (e.g. the validity of recent patent applications on virtual world technology, “ownership” of virtual land, and the value of real world currency) I generally try to point that out or approach the issue in a way that makes it clear it is up in the air. Those notes, of course, take a somewhat more neutral tone, and if I do miss a counterargument, readers usually catch it in the comments. Finally, there are some issues that VB confronts — like the illegality of ponzi schemes, the legality of virtual escort work, and the necessity of Linden Lab complying with the UIGEA — where the issues appear, from a legal perspective, to be rather black and white. On those, I’ll continue writing in my usual voice. [...]

By: Virtually Blind - Virtual Law | Legal Issues That Impact Virtual Worlds » Blog Archive » Second Life Gambling Ban Clarified and Enforced, but Terms of Service Remain Unchanged

Sat, 11 Aug 2007 03:34:06 +0000

[...] Second Life creator Linden Lab recently clarified it’s July 25 ban on gambling. The clarification FAQ, linked here, includes the following important passages, some of which clear up questions raised in VB’s earlier post and subsequent comments about the ban on gambling. [...]

By: Benjamin Duranske

Benjamin Duranske — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 02:57:50 +0000

Vincent – Thanks for the comment. I personally think gambling should be legal everywhere, but it isn’t, and Linden Lab really didn’t have a choice here.

By: Vincent Valentine

Vincent Valentine — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 02:48:08 +0000

When are the control freaks of the world going to learn that the internet is all about freedom. Leave it alone and leave us alone!

By: Benjamin Duranske

Benjamin Duranske — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 21:49:30 +0000

FYI – in comment #15 Prokofy is referring to the case Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition, not the Second Life resident who shares a name with the former U.S. Attorney General.

Here’s a link to Wikipedia entry on that case:

http://tinyurl.com/22o7q9

By: Prokofy Neva

Prokofy Neva — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 20:16:28 +0000

Running a commercial gambling venture without a license is not legal in almost any jurisdiction – even if gambling is legal. Gambling is a highly regulated industry everywhere.

Right. And I’m not aware that there is uninhibited and unregulated gambling in Europe? Most likely there are less strict laws, as you can find casinos all over, in restaurants and airports and malls, where it would be harder to put them with licenses in RL. Still, they must be regulated somehow, and this slam on the U.S. as being Puritanical for regulating casinos seems merely the usual anti-American kneejerk reaction to me.

Europeans brought us the SL ageplay ban, don’t forget. Let’s see who can top whom in being Puritanical *cough*.

By: Prokofy Neva

Prokofy Neva — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 20:13:10 +0000

Linden Lab was able to be clear because…*drum roll*….RL law was clear. That’s how it works! If RL law has sub-points and 9 FAQs, so can the Lindens. RL Internet gambling law is crystal-clear having been worked out not by 27-year-old Lindesidents in charge of “governance” but by…democratically-elected Congress? With lawyers and legislative assistants? And public accountability and input? Hello?

Internet law is *not* as crystal-clear about these ageplay/child porn images in the U.S. That is, “Ashcroft” might be straightforward enough, but not 100 percent unassailable as some think it is, due to tests for obscenity that virtuality frankly hasn’t been put to. EU law about virtual or cartoon images is more clear as they went after it earlier and with more motivation after a lot of infamous child porn ring cases were prosecuted.

RL law is going to go on getting more clear, and LL will be forced to get more clear, too — and that’s not to their credit.

They could be driving RL law and its responses, instead of reacting to it.

By: Prohibition, Restraint and Religion in Second Life « Shadow of a Doubt

Prohibition, Restraint and Religion in Second Life « Shadow of a Doubt — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 00:09:59 +0000

[...] One prominent commentator, however, has expressed his approval: Some of you aren’t going to like this policy, but you can’t deny that it’s clear. It’s points-with-subpoints-and-definitions-clear. It’s a 9-question-FAQ clear. You aren’t allowed to gamble in Second Life any more. Period. If you do, they’ll take your toys away. Some people aren’t going to like it, and I’m probably going to alienate some readers here, but I couldn’t be happier. [...]