Section 5363 does not make it illegal for a mere player to make bets or wagers.  Rather, the Act applies only to those involved in the business of betting or wagering.  Section 5262 defines a bet :

• as the staking or risking of property in order to win something of value based on the outcome of:
  • a contest of others
  • a sporting event, or
  • a game subject to chance
• the purchase of a chance to win a lottery or other prize the award of which is predominantly subject to chance
• the making of a wager prohibited under the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, or
• as including "any instructions or information pertaining to the establishment or movement of funds by the bettor or customer in, to, or from an account with the business of betting or wagering."

• IC 35-45-5-1 Version a Definitions Note: This version of section amended by P.L.2-2007, SEC.377. See also following version of this section amended by P.L.227-2007, SEC.64.

  Sec. 1 . As used in this chapter:

  "Gain " means the direct realization of winnings.

• "Gambling device" means:

  (1) a mechanism by the operation of which a right to money or other property may be credited, in return for consideration, as the result of the operation of an element of chance;

  (2) a mechanism that, when operated for a consideration, does not return the same value or property for the same consideration upon each operation;

  (3) a mechanism, furniture, fixture, construction, or installation designed primarily for use in connection with professional gambling;

  (4) a policy ticket or wheel; or

  (5) a subassembly or essential part designed or intended for use in connection with such a device, mechanism, furniture, fixture, construction, or installation.

• (a) The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.

  (b) "Electronic gaming device " means any electromechanical device, electrical device, or machine that satisfies at least one (1) of the following requirements:

  (1) It is a contrivance which for consideration affords the player an opportunity to obtain money or other items of value, the award of which is determined by chance even if accomplished by some skill, whether or not the prize is automatically paid by the contrivance.

  (2) It is a slot machine or any simulation or variation of a slot machine.

  (3) It is a matchup or lineup game machine or device operated for consideration, in which two (2) or more numerals, symbols,

  In the application of this definition, an immediate and unrecorded right to replay mechanically conferred on players of pinball machines and similar amusement devices is presumed to be without value.

• so yes if a person had the time and or money to oppose the cash shop owner they could bring up legal chrages

Does the fact that you don't actually OWN your character/items change anything? You don't really win anything when you buy some random box because no matter what comes out of the box, you don't own it. You're really only paying to be entertained. 

well people have their own opinions on things and for this one, random boxes really sux. but i do agree with Naz, we do play just to be entertained. Its not like buying a dog where we could own it, do whatever we want and etc. We shouldn't take things too seriously but i can't blame you guys, when money matters come in to the scene...hmmm... neway. peacE!

lol @ internet lawyers ...

seriously though .. ndoors box system is just a mechanich designed to relieve thier customers of $

nice game concept

shitty (cash shop driven) economy.

Originally posted by Rodentofdoom

lol @ internet lawyers ...

 

seriously though .. ndoors box system is just a mechanich designed to relieve thier customers of $

 

nice game concept

shitty (cash shop driven) economy.

Good observation man. but we cn't blame em. its business. they did this, i mean adapted the concept of the cash shop to earn. and people wants to play the game. though users really dont have to completely rely on the item mall. And besides, what matters is the customers' decision to buy or not to. :D

Gambling is only illegal to minors if it is of monitary value, Kids of all age can partake in Online Poker for fake chipes all the live long day, its encouraged by alot of social Sites such as facebook and myspace. Gambling is only illegal if the bet is of monitary value,

i dont play atlantica online but, Ingame currinancy =/= RLM (real life money)

so you are allowed to do with it as you please seeing as it is immaginary.

this is a major reason RMT is illegal, the black market is trying to put a monetary value where there currently is none

-life long poker player ^_^

I just wanted to point out how completely idiotic it is to even think these boxes are illegal, or as stated earlier, morally questionable.  um, dont we play EVERY game to win or lose?   Modern Warfare 2 could be illegal then because you don't know the odds of winning the match.  or WoW, you don't know the drop rates of gear, without outside help from sites or unoffical add-ons from creators other than the people who made the game.  Morally questionable?  should you even be playing ANY game if you think this? most certainly not.  It's a freaking box.  get over it

there are lawyers specifically for the internet cases or they are really accesible through the net? hahha! sorry for the ignorance here guys. never thought that cyber crime would be that too big of a deal to have internet lawyers made. hahha!

---

Originally posted by ryanrem

"The act or practice of gambling; an agreement between two or more individuals to play collectively at a game of chance for a stake or wager, which will become the property of the winner and to which all involved make a contribution." 

---

this.

you don't (and never will) own anything on AO. since you already know that (signed the EULA), you are aware that anything you "buy" will never "become your property".

Originally posted by Natzrat

Does the fact that you don't actually OWN your character/items change anything?

Not necessarily.

SOE found this out when they launched their trading card games (SWG, LoN, etc.). It not only matters what the Federal law is, but also individual State laws. That's why there are 8 or so states in the U.S. where SOE cannot accept players for the card games.

However, in SOE's case, it is because you are paying real money for card packs in the hope of getting a "good" item. this is considered gambling by those states.

In the case of a game having a "lotto box" or whatever that is earned solely ingame ( using ingame gold/credits/etc. ) with no actual real money being spent, there would be no illegality.

Americans, always have to sue for everything, wtf is up with that?

Im so glad i dont live in the USA.

Originally posted by Proson

Americans, always have to sue for everything, wtf is up with that?

 

Im so glad i dont live in the USA.

On behalf of Americans, we're glad you don't live here also.

---

Originally posted by Proson
Americans, always have to sue for everything, wtf is up with that?
 
Im so glad i dont live in the USA.

---

Their system is probably designed in a way that is easy and substantially inexpensive suing anyone for any reason, so they'd easily sue Panasonic 'cause a TV fell on their feet and there wasn't a "WARNING! This object obeys to the laws of physics, including gravitation" in the manual (and even if there was, they'd still sue Panasonic because "newtonian physics is against the Bible and we are not bound to know or understand it"... chances are they'd even win!)

They have no need to worry. It is legal to gamble for non monetary stuff. There are game rooms all over the US in which the prizes are ticket which can be redeemed for stuffed animals and the like. There are carnival games the examples are endless. This is just another example of a silly post by someone who is a busybody that knows nothing but likes to pose as someone who does.

Originally posted by ryuga81

 

---

Originally posted by Proson
Americans, always have to sue for everything, wtf is up with that?
 
Im so glad i dont live in the USA.

---

Their system is probably designed in a way that is easy and substantially inexpensive suing anyone for any reason, so they'd easily sue Panasonic 'cause a TV fell on their feet and there wasn't a "WARNING! This object obeys to the laws of physics, including gravitation" in the manual (and even if there was, they'd still sue Panasonic because "newtonian physics is against the Bible and we are not bound to know or understand it"... chances are they'd even win!)

 

This post is worse than the OP. Another ignorant idiot...sigh they seem to be everywhere these days.

BTW where is newtonian physics against the bible? and which bible are you refering to? the Christian bible, the Jewish bible? or some other bible?

Do all of these boxes contain something or is there a chance of them being totally empty?

If all boxes are guaranteed to hold something then you are not gambling, you are buying an unknown item.

Gambling involves a chance to 'lose'.

[quote]Originally posted by Maelkor
This post is worse than the OP. Another ignorant idiot...sigh they seem to be everywhere these days.
BTW where is newtonian physics against the bible? and which bible are you refering to? the Christian bible, the Jewish bible? or some other bible?
[/b][/quote]

"In September 1988, two Akron, Ohio-based carpet layers named Gordon Falker and Gregory Roach were severely burned when a three and a half gallon container of carpet adhesive ignited when the hot water heater it was sitting next to kicked on. Both men felt the warning label on the back of the can was insufficient. Words like “flammable” and “keep away from heat” didn’t prepare them for the explosion. They filed suit against the adhesive manufacturers, Para-Chem. A jury obviously agreed since the men were awarded $8 million for their troubles."

http://www.sconet.state.oh.us/rod/docs/pdf/9/2003/2003-Ohio-3155.pdf

If you can win something like this, you can win everything :| in Europe, any judge seeing this kind of lawsuit would just laugh at it and tear up the papers...

Originally posted by Nibs

Do all of these boxes contain something or is there a chance of them being totally empty?

 

If all boxes are guaranteed to hold something then you are not gambling, you are buying an unknown item.

 

Gambling involves a chance to 'lose'.

The boxes are labeled with something like "randomly obtain one of 19 items", and it gives a list of the items you might obtain. So you are guaranteed to get something from the box. They even name the box with the name of the common item that might be in the box from the looks of it, so at least they don't name the box with the rare item that people are chasing. Pretty clever way to avoid false advertising claims.

OP's confused.  They've been doing this in MMo's for years (way before atlantica online), no reason for them to stop now - even if its supposedly illegal

The game is good actually. It has a unique party & battle system and even has some sort of storyline to follow throughout the game,,,, most other f2p games i tried dont have that sort of thing.

BUT IMO, even if the boxes are named and such, the ITEM MALL specifically IN THIS GAME, is indeed either gambling, or very reminescent to it to a dangerous level.

When i was playing AO, i was totally loving it, and decided to get a cool mount like some other kids in the block. I Spent more than  100 US dollars on those ''suprise boxes'' like crazy! And guess what?= NO MOUNT for me at all! ,,, my gambling high kicked in and I bought some more boxes AND STILL no goddamn mounts! :D haha, serves me right, I guess... for spending my cash on stuff like that.. I was INSTEAD left with lots of garbage ''premium'' stuff that I tried to sell ingame, but nobody wanted em to trade or buy (yes seriously).

That day I relearned a very valuable lesson; don't spend your money on gambling, EVEN IF ITS GAMBLING DISGUISED AS AN ONLINE ROLEPLAYING GAME.....

Now to me, this was no big deal, since the money I lost was MY money, AND was rather easily replaceable..

ALAS if it is a kid that we'r talking about, than its different, IMO. One of my friends younger brother (15) yrs old was playing this game too, gpt a hold of his parents credit card for a little while and eventually emptied a small portion of it on Atlantica Online. (Meh, like 50-100 dollars)....

IMO it was the parents fault first, but still they were furious with the kid, and the worst part is, he had  NOT won any prizes he wanted at all:D ,,, join the club, kiddo!:p

TO SUMMARISE:

A gem of a game on its own right, but the ITEM MALL system DIFFERS from the MOST OTHER F2P GAMES, in that gambling is actually involved, AND YOU ARE NOT GUARANTEED YOUR MONEYS WORTH on some more prestigious items (Like mounts and Wings) no matter how much you spend on them. 

And recent patches have made it harder to compete or level on higher levels without using the item mall.

SO my recommendation is: ENJOY THE GAME as much as you can without delving into the item mall, and you are good to go,,, but beware the cash shop for your own good!

Cheers.