Gsa Gambling
A timely reminder of the rules against gambling for money in Federal offices Question: What is the Federal policy concerning gambling? Answer: All persons entering onto Federal property are prohibited from: - Participating in games for money or - Conducting a lottery or gambling pool. Source: GSA regulation 41 C.F.R. GSA is committed to setting new standards for gaming developers, manufacturers, and operators around the world. The organization’s commitments to quality and security have become imperative for slot machine manufacturers, lottery managers, and table game designers to meet or exceed when creating new methods of gambling entertainment. That is the role that GSA has played in the land-based world for more than 15 years, and that is why GSA is uniquely positioned to lead in this area.” Related and similar Gaming Standards Association collaborating with online gambling companies.
Scenario: College basketball teams are playing in their respective league championship tournaments and soon the “NCAA March Madness” brackets will be announced. Many sports fans are accustomed to placing a friendly wager on a favorite team. Your office colleagues decide to set up a little game. It does not harm anyone, and participation is totally voluntary. Is it permissible?
Answer: While betting a few dollars on sports is often viewed as a harmless social pastime, if done at work it violates the Federal regulations that prohibit gambling for money or property in the Federal workplace. Predicting teams that will advance in a college basketball bracket purely for fun or picking winners to claim bragging rights in the office are not the types of conduct that generally raise concerns.
Federal rules on gambling prohibit employees from gambling while on duty, or while on government-owned or leased property, unless necessitated by their official duties. These restrictions apply not only to Federal employees, but also to members of the public at large, contractors, vendors, and exhibitors when on GSA-controlled property. The rules are found at 5 CFR section 735.201 and 41 CFR section 102-74.395. (CFR = Code of Federal Regulations)
Violations of the regulations may be cause for disciplinary action by the employee’s agency, which may be in addition to any penalty prescribed by law.
The only authorized exception is for activities and games that take place during the time period of the annual Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), in accordance with Executive Order 12353. However, CFC raffles are not synonymous with gambling when conducted in accordance with part 950 of title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
Legally defined, gambling requires 3 elements:
- A game of chance,
- Consideration for the opportunity to play the game, and
- An offering of a prize.
A game of chance includes, but is not limited to, a raffle, lottery, sports pool, game of cards, the selling or purchasing of a numbers slip or ticket, or any game for money or property. Consideration includes a participation fee, a wager of money, and something of value in return for the possibility of winning a reward or prize. A prize would include a monetary award, or a tangible or intangible item. Examples include meals, drinks, administrative leave, gift certificates, tickets to events, or cash.
In addition to the OPM and GSA regulations, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), Policy for Personal Use of Information Technology Resources, HHS-OCIO-2006-0001, section 5.4.3 (2/17/06), prohibits the use of government equipment, such as computers and e-mail, for illegal gambling activities. This includes related e-mails sent from a personal account if done using a government computer.
Violations of this policy may be cause for loss of use or restricted use of government equipment, disciplinary action, or financial liability.
Note that the Randolph-Sheppard Act which covers the existence of the convenience stores on campus permits them to sell state lottery tickets.
Gsa Casino
(a) Except for the vending or exchange of chances by licensed blind operators of vending facilities for any lottery set forth in a State law and authorized by section 2(a)(5) of the Randolph-Sheppard Act (20 U.S.C. 107et seq.), all persons entering in or on Federal property are prohibited from -
(1) Participating in games for money or other personal property;
(2) Operating gambling devices;
(3) Conducting a lottery or pool; or
(4) Selling or purchasing numbers tickets.
Ga Gambling Legislation
(b) This provision is not intended to prohibit prize drawings for personal property at otherwise permitted functions on Federal property, provided that the game or drawing does not constitute gambling per se. Gambling per se means a game of chance where the participant risks something of value for the chance to gain or win a prize.