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Illegal Gambling Los Angeles

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Gambling is a regulated activity in the state of California. This means that some forms of gambling are considered legal, while others are not. Gambling has to be approved through a license and is regulated by the Gambling Control Act. Oftentimes people get confused in regards to gambling laws and wonder if they are breaking the law by hosting a night of poker in their house for a group of their friends. In general, informal gambling is not a crime. However, it is illegal to play 'banking' or 'percentage' games in California. If you have been arrested for the crime of illegal gambling, contact the Law Offices of William Kroger at (323) 655-5700 to schedule a free consultation.

NORTH HILLS, Calif. The Los Angeles Police Department was on scene conducting a raid at a suspected illegal gambling operation at a home in North Hills Thursday night. Officers responded to the. LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles. The game rules and collection rates are displayed as submitted by the individual gambling establishment pursuant to Business. Illegal gambling machines seized during an investigation are shown in a photo released by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department on Oct. A multi-agency investigation in Lancaster. CES-South includes the Los Angeles Regional Office, and San Diego and Riverside Field Offices. CES Special Agents and Field Representatives monitor gambling operations within California and provide specialized investigative support to minimize criminal involvement, ensure compliance with the law, and bring accusations to the attention of the.

California Laws Regarding Illegal Gambling

Penal Code 330 makes it a crime for any person who 'deals, plays, or carries on, opens, or causes to be opened, or who conducts, either as owner or employee, whether for hire or not' any of these games for 'money, checks, credit, or other representative of value.'

These games include:

  • Faro
  • Monte
  • Roulette
  • Lansquenet
  • Rouge et noire
  • Rondo
  • Tan
  • Fan-tan
  • Seven-and-a-half
  • Twenty-one
  • Hokey-pokey
  • Or any banking or percentage game played with cards, dice, or any device

Banking games are those that have a 'house' or 'bank' that takes money from those who lost and pays out money to those who win.

Percentage games are games of chance where the 'house' takes money from a portion of the bets.

Illegal Gambling Los Angeles

There are some legal variations of these illegal games that are allowed to be played in Native American Casinos. One such example is the game of Craps which is illegal due to its use of dice, but which has a legal card variation in the casinos.

Authorities are not after friends who get together to play poker inside of a house. They are focused on shutting down places where gambling is illegally available to the public, such as illegal gambling parlors.

Illegal Gambling Penalties

People charged with violating Penal Code 330, who are found playing or betting at or against these games, will face a charge of a misdemeanor, a fine of up to a $1,000 and a sentence in county jail of up to 6 months.

Defenses Against Illegal Gambling Charges

There are some common defenses to the charges of illegal gambling. One such defense is that you were not really involved in the gambling, you just happened to be at the location. Your simple presence at a location does not equal in you committing a crime. Another defense is that you were running a charity game where there were no banking or percentage games involved. Whatever the case is, if you were charged with the crime of illegal gambling, you should speak with a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney right away so that they can start working on your defense.

Contact a Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney

Illegal Gambling In Los Angeles

Gambling

Authorities are very serious about shutting down gambling parlors and any other places that offer illegal gambling activities. Although gambling may seem like a harmless crime, they are concerned with the fact that many times gambling parlors are conduits for other types of criminal activities such as prostitution and drug use/drug dealing.

You may have found yourself in one of these places by mistake or were taken by a friend without really realizing where you were going. A lot of people get swept up in the wide net crackdowns police have on these types of operations. If you want to keep your record clean and avoid going to jail and incurring heavy fines, you may want to consider hiring an experienced criminal defense attorney. If you have been accused of participating in illegal gambling in Los Angeles contact the Law Offices of William Kroger for a free consultation at 323-655-5700.

HomeFederal Crimes Illegal Gambling

We Provide Strong Representation After an Arrest

Throughout history, gambling has been a pastime in our country. Gambling can be anything from going to Vegas and trying your hand at slots, to a friendly game of poker with the boys on Friday night. However, several forms of gambling are still illegal in the state of California, and you can easily find yourself facing charges of unlawful gaming – even if you were only a player.

Being charged with any crime can be a terrifying and confusing experience – especially since those who are charged with illegal gaming are often first-time offenders who didn't realize that they were doing anything wrong. The legal team at Werksman Jackson & Quinn LLP is here to help you through this and work to get the charges dropped.

What Forms of Gambling Are Illegal in California?

Per California Penal Code Section 330, it is illegal to participate in, run, or conduct a percentage or banking game. A percentage game is any game where the 'house' takes a percentage of any of the winnings, and a banking game is one where there is a 'house' that collects from the losers and pays the winners.

Therefore, the following would be examples:

  • Illegal: Joe hosts a weekly poker night for his friends, and over time it becomes well-known for a good game. Joe starts taking a percentage of the winnings to support the activity, thereby making the game illegal.
  • Legal: Joe hosts a weekly poker night, and he and his friends bet between themselves with no percentage taken. This form of gambling is legal.

The California Penal Code names certain games but also generally states that any game played as a percentage or banking game is prohibited. The games specifically named are faro, monte, roulette, lansquenet, rouge et noire, rondo, tan, fan-tan, seven-and-a-half, twenty-one, and hokey-pokey.

Illegal Gambling Los Angeles News Koreatown

What Are the Penalties for Illegal Gaming?

Illegal gaming is classified as a misdemeanor and carries with it:

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There are some legal variations of these illegal games that are allowed to be played in Native American Casinos. One such example is the game of Craps which is illegal due to its use of dice, but which has a legal card variation in the casinos.

Authorities are not after friends who get together to play poker inside of a house. They are focused on shutting down places where gambling is illegally available to the public, such as illegal gambling parlors.

Illegal Gambling Penalties

People charged with violating Penal Code 330, who are found playing or betting at or against these games, will face a charge of a misdemeanor, a fine of up to a $1,000 and a sentence in county jail of up to 6 months.

Defenses Against Illegal Gambling Charges

There are some common defenses to the charges of illegal gambling. One such defense is that you were not really involved in the gambling, you just happened to be at the location. Your simple presence at a location does not equal in you committing a crime. Another defense is that you were running a charity game where there were no banking or percentage games involved. Whatever the case is, if you were charged with the crime of illegal gambling, you should speak with a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney right away so that they can start working on your defense.

Contact a Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney

Illegal Gambling In Los Angeles

Authorities are very serious about shutting down gambling parlors and any other places that offer illegal gambling activities. Although gambling may seem like a harmless crime, they are concerned with the fact that many times gambling parlors are conduits for other types of criminal activities such as prostitution and drug use/drug dealing.

You may have found yourself in one of these places by mistake or were taken by a friend without really realizing where you were going. A lot of people get swept up in the wide net crackdowns police have on these types of operations. If you want to keep your record clean and avoid going to jail and incurring heavy fines, you may want to consider hiring an experienced criminal defense attorney. If you have been accused of participating in illegal gambling in Los Angeles contact the Law Offices of William Kroger for a free consultation at 323-655-5700.

HomeFederal Crimes Illegal Gambling

We Provide Strong Representation After an Arrest

Throughout history, gambling has been a pastime in our country. Gambling can be anything from going to Vegas and trying your hand at slots, to a friendly game of poker with the boys on Friday night. However, several forms of gambling are still illegal in the state of California, and you can easily find yourself facing charges of unlawful gaming – even if you were only a player.

Being charged with any crime can be a terrifying and confusing experience – especially since those who are charged with illegal gaming are often first-time offenders who didn't realize that they were doing anything wrong. The legal team at Werksman Jackson & Quinn LLP is here to help you through this and work to get the charges dropped.

What Forms of Gambling Are Illegal in California?

Per California Penal Code Section 330, it is illegal to participate in, run, or conduct a percentage or banking game. A percentage game is any game where the 'house' takes a percentage of any of the winnings, and a banking game is one where there is a 'house' that collects from the losers and pays the winners.

Therefore, the following would be examples:

  • Illegal: Joe hosts a weekly poker night for his friends, and over time it becomes well-known for a good game. Joe starts taking a percentage of the winnings to support the activity, thereby making the game illegal.
  • Legal: Joe hosts a weekly poker night, and he and his friends bet between themselves with no percentage taken. This form of gambling is legal.

The California Penal Code names certain games but also generally states that any game played as a percentage or banking game is prohibited. The games specifically named are faro, monte, roulette, lansquenet, rouge et noire, rondo, tan, fan-tan, seven-and-a-half, twenty-one, and hokey-pokey.

Illegal Gambling Los Angeles News Koreatown

What Are the Penalties for Illegal Gaming?

Illegal gaming is classified as a misdemeanor and carries with it:

  • A fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100) nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or
  • Imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding six months, or
  • Both the fine and prison time

Illegal Gambling In Los Angeles

A further penalty is having a misdemeanor conviction on your criminal record, which can follow you for the rest of your life. Fun casino no deposit bonus code 2018.

What About Bingo at My Local Church?

There are legal provisions in many counties that allow non-profit organizations to have bingo games that would otherwise be illegal, as long as they meet specific criteria:

  • The bingo game is conducted by a tax-exempt charitable organization (such as a church), a mobile home park association, a senior citizens' organization, or a charitable organization affiliated with a school district;
  • The proceeds of the game are only used for charitable purposes;
  • No minors participate in the game;
  • No one receives any profit, wage, or salary from the game;
  • The game is conducted on property owned by, leased by, or donated to the charitable organization; and
  • The game is open to members of the public.

What Are Common Defenses Against Gambling Charges?

The legal team at Werksman Jackson & Quinn LLP is comprised of talented, experienced trial lawyers. If you are facing charges of illegal gambling, some of the defense strategies that could be employed include:

  • You were not involved in a banking or percentage game: Games can sometimes appear to be banking or percentage games when, in fact, they aren't. Proving this can result in the charges being dropped.
  • Illegal search or seizure: If the evidence was obtained without the proper legal procedures for getting it (including proper warrants), it cannot be presented in court.

It is vital to have an experienced law firm at your side to review the entire case and prepare the proper defense. With adequate preparation, it is often possible to have the charges dropped entirely, or at least to obtain the minimum possible sentence.

Werksman Jackson & Quinn LLP Can Help Defend Your Rights

Werksman Jackson & Quinn LLP has been successfully defending clients against criminal charges since 1994. We have a history of success even in some of the most challenging and high-profile cases, and Los Angeles Magazine has listed our firm's Managing Partner Mark Werksman as one of LA's 'top white-collar criminal attorneys.'

Illegal Gambling Los Angeles

If we take your case, you will get the team behind you – not just one attorney. We act fast and make every move count in our determined approach to protecting your rights. Our firm only does criminal defense – and we know it inside-and-out.

Call us today at (213) 688-0460 to schedule a free consultation.

Additional Information

Contact Werksman Jackson & Quinn LLP Today
Phone: (213) 688-0460
Fax: (213) 624-1942

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