128779-could-use-some-official-clarification

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So there is a player on the Dominion side who is offering a raffle for a Snarf mount. He announced it today, and was promptly set upon by two individuals who screamed scam (it's not, he's done it before and it's legit), and that he's gonna get banned because it's against TOS. There is a clause in TOS about gambling, which is the only part that he could possibly be breaking. I'd love some clarification if a game like a raffle (selling "tickets" for 1 plat each, randoming for the winner) is actually against TOS. To me, I don't see why it would be. Sure, it takes a certain amount of trust to send a plat to someone you don't know in hopes you win a mount, but this player doing it is hoping to earn a reputation for being honest and running these contests for fun. He certainly isn't making a profit from it, he'd make more plat by selling it outright. He's just trying to do something nice for all the people who want a snarf, but can't afford the asking price.
 
If we could get some form of Carbine yes/no on this, it would sure put an end to arguments in channels every time he announces it.	
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Obviously I'm not from Carbine.
 
These rules are in place in most games for efficiency's sake, and to save the stupid (sorry) people from themselves if they fall for a scam. If you ban gambling outright, and it's a well-understood community rule, then the support team doesn't have to deal with as many "waaaah, I got scammed" tickets (since fewer people will be attempting to run a raffle at the risk of their account being banned, scam or not). If they do receive any tickets like this, they simply have to quote the relevant part of the ToS to the affected player instead of having to take an active role (read as: employee hourly wage, $$) to investigate and refund the scammed party. It also becomes a huge enforcement issue if they allow any form of gambling; you can never know who is legit and who isn't, and someone who was previously legit could turn tail with the gold at any moment. Giveaways on the forums and reddit are different, since no one is paying real or game currency to participate in those.	
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I'm not from carbine but I would like to chime in and just say the only true legit way to provide players with a cheaper option is to just list it as a cheaper price on AH.
 
I think it would be breaking ToS because it's an exploitable avenue. Even if this player is "legit" if the ban hammer isn't dropped on such practices it allows other unsavory types free reign to rip/scam players off without consequences. With these in game raffles you can never be sure if the 'winner' isn't a relative/friend/player in on the cut who is just transferring the mount back over and over again, regardless of proof (as anyone can lie about anything and edit screenshots/video to represent anything they like.) It's safer for a company to have an umbrella rule against all types of gambling like this to save players from the scammers.
			
				
	Edited July 5, 2015 by KibbIes	
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As much as I understand the problem with the cry-babies shouting "I got scammed", I still think gamblings like that are a beatiful thing when executed right. It makes the community feel more alive. People will talk about it and sooner or later they will find out who is legit and who isn't and even if someone turns out to scam later.. all you lost is one silly plat. If you care about a single plat, don't gamble with it.
 
I think the game gains alot more from events like that than it looses.	
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I think the game gains alot more from events like that than it looses.
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TL;DR - I know its against the ToS but this guy is really nice so isn't it okay?
 
Answer: No Exceptions. Gambling of any form is bannable.
			
				
	Edited July 5, 2015 by Mr CK	
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Some people are unimaginative and aggressively deferential to authority. Sad fact of life on this planet.
 
I say more power to him! The single reason this game didn't totally go dark in the past few months is the community that took what the company made and breathed life into it. I'd hope Carbine has the clarity to recognize that fact.	
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I say more power to him! The single reason this game didn't totally go dark in the past few months is the community that took what the company made and breathed life into it. I'd hope Carbine has the clarity to recognize that fact.
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			Yeah the roll against me for plat is a common way to pass the time in raids. And "rules are rules" is a very lazy way to implement discipline in a group of people. Yes, rules are in fact rules, but there are also exceptions to be made. Thing is, it takes more work to go that route and it takes someone who is willing to take personal responsibility for making the exception.	
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Many countries and territories have strict zero tolerance gambling laws. These laws apply even to video games and virtual currencies, and it's why we've seen even innocuous things like the slot minigames in Pokemon games removed in the recent remakes.
 
Player-run gambling games inside of MMOs could potentially get the MMO banned in certain places. It depends on how rigorously the country wants to enforce their laws, but by the way they're written it's applicable. That's why gambling is against the TOS in MMOs, and why most developers will aggressively enforce a No Gambling policy themselves; to them, it's not worth the risk of potentially having their game banned and having to fight the rulings in foreign courts.	
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release on china  vs gambling,
 
thats where they have to think about, if they had to remake ost of the parts of the strain zones and starin models cause no bones in china then gambling could become as a bad thing to see from the regulatory institution of that country and that will bring problems
 
its a shitty thing but i can understand they are opening a new market and a thing like this could give some bad PR with the wrong persons	
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