Legal doesn't mean it isn't gambling
A raffle is a lottery in the eyes of the law, because you pay for a ticket, the winner is drawn at random and there's a prize. Charity raffles are legal almost everywhere only because the law makes a special exception for them, and a raffle run for profit is usually an illegal lottery. Bingo works the same way, kept legal through charity licences in the US and licensed halls in the UK.
The state-run lottery is no exception. Being run by the government doesn't change what it is, and the odds of a big win are tiny.
Does skill take a game out of gambling?
Not on its own. Good poker players win over time, but the law in the US and the UK still treats poker as gambling, because the cards decide most single hands.
Cash solitaire apps try to take chance out by giving everyone in a match the same deck, so skill decides the winner. They run as skill games in most states, but several states keep them out, and Michigan's regulator has called Solitaire Cash illegal gambling.
When a home game crosses the line
Mahjong played for fun isn't gambling, and neither are the mahjong solitaire apps where you match tiles on your own. Playing for stakes is, because the tiles you draw are luck. A friendly game at home is usually allowed, but it can turn into a crime once someone takes a cut of the pot.
Every topic in this group
- Is bingo gambling? Yes, it's gambling
Is bingo gambling? Yes, even church bingo. Here's how US and UK law treat it, when a charity or pub game is legal, and why free bingo isn't gambling.
- Is the lottery gambling? Yes, it's gambling
Is the lottery gambling? Yes, it's the clearest case there is. Here's how the law defines a lottery, what the Powerball odds really are, and why state-run doesn't mean safe.
- Is mahjong gambling? Depends where you live
Is mahjong a gambling game? Only when you play for money. Here's how New York law treats home games and parlors, what courts said about skill, and how Hong Kong licenses mahjong.
- Is poker gambling? Yes, it's gambling
Is poker gambling or a game of skill? Both, but the law treats it as gambling. Here's what US courts and UK law say, and why the skill argument hasn't won.
- Is a raffle gambling? Yes, it's gambling
Is a raffle gambling? Yes, it's a lottery under the law. Here's when charity raffles, 50/50 draws and office sweepstakes are legal in the US and the UK.
- Is solitaire gambling? Depends where you live
Is solitaire gambling? Not when you play alone for fun. Cash apps like Solitaire Cash are another story. Here's how they use the skill-game rule, where they're blocked and what the Papaya bot case found.