Gambling, lotteries, raffles [Obama fundraising letter may be illegal in Missouri]

Gambling, with only a few exceptions, is illegal in Missouri. Those exceptions are restricted and highly regulated.

There are many types of gambling. Promotions that award prizes may be called contests, sweepstakes, lotteries, raffles, drawings or games. It is important to know the law and to understand what elements make a promotion illegal.

2. Chance means the winner is chosen by “luck” with little or no skill or ability involved.

3. Consideration is the exchange of something of value for the opportunity to participate in the game.

The following is not legal advice because I am not a lawyer, but the English language is easy to understand, and I can see how the above applies to the following:

https://donate.barackobama.com/frontrow

Make a Donation to Get a Front Row Seat to History
You could be there with Barack on Election Night when the results come in. ["Chance means the winner is chosen by “luck” with little or no skill or ability involved."]
We're planning a big event that will include tens of thousands of supporters in Grant Park in downtown Chicago.
Some of the best seats are reserved for 5 people who make a donation one last time before Sunday at midnight. ["Consideration is the exchange of something of value for the opportunity to participate in the game."]
You and a guest will be flown to Chicago, put up in a hotel, and brought backstage for the biggest night of the campaign. ["Prize is any benefit, cash or property awarded to a winner."]
Make a donation and you and a guest could join Barack on Election Night.

The Obama campaign already had a run-in with Minnesota law enforcement, and it promised that future solicitations would say that you could enter without donating money. This removes the element of "consideration," which is a key part of what makes up a "lottery" in most jurisdictions. Neither Obama's most recent fundraising E-mail nor the page to which it linked (see above) says you can enter without making a donation, though.

If you LIVE in Missouri and you received this E-mail solicitation, you might want to report it to Missouri's attorney general. Also, if you got such a solicitation by POSTAL mail, it might be desirable to turn it in to the U.S. Postal Inspector because it is illegal to promote an unauthorized lottery by U.S. Mail. (State lotteries and similarly sanctioned activities probably have exceptions.)

Yeah it looks like a lottery...most states do not allow that in a drawing like this.

I wonder if they buy the insurance necessary to hold these as well. Common practice in the promotions business.

The easiest way to manage this problem is to make a game of skill...but that would be too much to ask of the Obama supporters!!!

I don’t have pay for my gas or pay for my mortgage!!!

Brilliant

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