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legality of raked tables for all participants in ont


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Is anyone familiar with what the laws are with respect to individuals participating in a raked, unlicensed game in ontario?The player themselves. Not the people running it.Ive been told a lot of things by a lot of different people.I know a few people who have been present during a bust, and they were let off without anything. I believe that it is illegal and you can potentially have charges pressed, but what would those charges be? And how frequently are those charges pressed against players? I'm pretty sure that DN played in quite a few of the places around here. So as an aside; have you (DN or anyone else who's played in ontario in card rooms) ever played in a place while it's being busted... and what was your experience? Were any of the players charged with anything?

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CANADAPart VII of the Canadian Criminal Code has the laws about gaming, betting, and gambling. Section 197 (sub-sections 1-4) defines the terms used in the Law. "Common betting house": This is where people get together and play games. There is no 'House' collecting and paying bets, but rather a group of people playing against each other in some game of skill and chance. The host does not collect and pay bets, nor does the host collect a 'rake', as described below. "Common gaming house": This is where people are enabled to conduct gaming against a second party. Take Home Craps, for example, where individual players play against the host, or House. When somebody's home is used to for somebody to arrange a game where he or she collects and pays bets, it falls under this definition. Some home gamblers refer to a 'rake', where the host collects a small percentage of all pots to help pay for hosting expenses. Use of 'rakes' also falls under this category."Disorderly house": A general term used to describe either a common betting house, a common gaming house."Game": The game itself, complete with rules and conditions."Keeper": The keeper of the house is the person whose name is on the lease, or is helping the person whose name is on the lease, or is acting on behalf of the person whose name is on the lease."Onus": If somebody is accused of being the keeper of a disorderly house, it's their job to convince a court otherwise. Even if the game is only started at one house and finished at another (ie. long game of Trips to Win), that first house is still a disorderly house. Section 198 (only one sub-section) outlines what presumptions can be made by the Law when police officers show up at your door under the suspicion that yours is a disorderly house. They are allowed to assume that yours is such a house if one of the following things happen: #1: The police officer was prevented or delayed from entering your house. #2: The police officer did not find a game-in-progress, but did find enough gaming equipment (ie. poker chips, Craps tabletop, home roulette wheel, etc.) to make it clear enough. #3: The police officer did not find a game-in-progress, but did find gaming equipment on the persons of people in the house (i.e. poker chips in everybody's pockets). #4: The police officer did not charge you while you were found in the disorderly house, but after the keeper was convicted and it was proven that you were there, you can be charged. Section 199 (sub-sections 1-7) outlines the procedure in dealing with a disorderly house. Search: The keeper of the disorderly house and anybody in it may be apprehended with or without a warrant, if the officer can prove that it is a disorderly house. Property: The court reserves the right to keep and/or dispose of any evidence (ie. gaming equipment) that it finds in the disorderly house. Section 201 (only one sub-section) states that the keeper of the disorderly house and everybody found in it can be punished with a maximum sentence of two years. The word of the law does not specify whether or not the stakes of the game would have an influence on the amount of the punishment. Source: http://www.homepokergames.com/homepokerlaw.phpcheersA man has a better chance of having a virgin birth than anyone has of finding a "loophole" in this. My Wife is GM of a club here in London and we tried to simply have a SnG night. Well, that lasted about 3 weeks as we were not allow to profit from people that were enticed to a gaming house. You may also want to chech the Alcohol and Gaming Act of Ontario. If that is were you are.Hope this helps.

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Section 198 (only one sub-section) outlines what presumptions can be made by the Law when police officers show up at your door under the suspicion that yours is a disorderly house. They are allowed to assume that yours is such a house if one of the following things happen:  #1: The police officer was prevented or delayed from entering your house.  #2: The police officer did not find a game-in-progress, but did find enough gaming equipment (ie. poker chips, Craps tabletop, home roulette wheel, etc.) to make it clear enough.  #3: The police officer did not find a game-in-progress, but did find gaming equipment on the persons of people in the house (i.e. poker chips in everybody's pockets).  #4: The police officer did not charge you while you were found in the disorderly house, but after the keeper was convicted and it was proven that you were there, you can be charged.  Section 199 (sub-sections 1-7) outlines the procedure in dealing with a disorderly house.  Search: The keeper of the disorderly house and anybody in it may be apprehended with or without a warrant, if the officer can prove that it is a disorderly house.  Property: The court reserves the right to keep and/or dispose of any evidence (ie. gaming equipment) that it finds in the disorderly house.  Section 201 (only one sub-section) states that the keeper of the disorderly house and everybody found in it can be punished with a maximum sentence of two years. The word of the law does not specify whether or not the stakes of the game would have an influence on the amount of the punishment.  
So the officier can come to your house if someone phones in a complaint, and if he is delayed entry he can automatically come in the house and do a search w/ no warrant?
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