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Kokua Line June Watanabe |
Baffled about raffles:
Are they a gamble?Question: Our halau has been invited to participate in the upcoming Merrie Monarch Hula Competition. Now, we all know it takes a lot of money to prepare for this great honor, so we have been working really hard in planning all types of fund-raising opportunities. One idea is for a raffle, but as per all my reading on the Internet, I have found that a raffle is considered gambling. Is there a way for us to do a raffle but take away one of the elements that would make it gambling, such as requiring someone to buy a ticket? In other words, instead of selling a ticket, we say, "Here's a ticket to be part of our raffle," and they in return "donate" something to the halau. We wouldn't be asking for payment, people would just be helping us fund our competition, right?
Answer: That would probably work.
Under state law, it is illegal gambling if three elements are present: consideration, chance and reward.
Raffles generally are illegal because participants are required to purchase a ticket, which means there is consideration (item of value) given. Chance is involved because winners are randomly picked. And there's the element of reward because something of value is given.
Many times, people get around the element of consideration by asking for "donations," a sergeant with the Honolulu Police Department's gambling detail acknowledged.
He noted that information about the state's gambling laws can be found on HPD's Web site, honolulupd.org. Search for "gambling detail."
Under the topic of raffles, it says, "Games where tickets are given out to everyone without them having to pay and the organizer receives no type of CONSIDERATION are legal, e.g., games promoted by businesses where you can win something and no purchase is necessary."
Asked about an organization asking for donations instead of a purchase, the police sergeant said, "People try to get around it (gambling laws) by different ways. Unfortunately, we cannot give advice on how to do that."
However, HPD is willing to look at a plan like yours to raise money "and see if there is anything illegal about it," he said.
Call the gambling detail at 529-3991 for more information; or you can fax details of your planned fund-raiser to HPD's Narcotics/Vice Division at 529-3476 and receive an opinion letter on whether it violates state law.
Auwe
What ever happened to the aloha spirit? Where's the "aloha" or simple "thank you" for common courtesy of the road? At about 4:10 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21, I was driving mauka in front of the Nuuanu YMCA when a local male, about 35, driving a maroon vehicle, forced his way into my lane. He wasn't going to stop for anyone, and he literally pushed me out of my lane, causing me to enter oncoming traffic. He purposely sped up, then slammed on his brakes, nearly causing me to hit him. According to a Honolulu police officer, should an incident like this occur, get the license number of the vehicle and immediately call police. This will make you a witness, and police will be able to assist. -- Concerned Driver
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Call 529-4773, fax 529-4750, or write to Kokua Line,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered.
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