Are Casino promotions gambling? (1 Viewer)

[fish72s]

I've meant to post the poll in the past. The fact that just got $500 for making a Royal Flush last week doesn't change my opinion. I have never been a fan of all the promotions that casinos and card rooms run.
Most notably of course are the Bad Beat Jackpots but there are the common hourly high-hands and the local card room here pays out $100 to $500 for making quads, SFs and royals.
You are supposed to feel lucky by winning and want to come play more. I just look at it as getting my money back.
I suppose the BBJ is a little different in practice since the pay in/out disparity is so big. But I think its still just straight up, gambling.
I know it sounds weird to a lot of people but I don't go to a poker room to 'gamble'. I go to play poker.

Ok, so maybe not ''pure" gambling since there is a tiny bit of strategy for when you should correctly play for a high hand or bad beat.

If you agree that these promotion are gambling at their core, then should they be illegal?
I'm undecided on this. On the face of it, yes. Gambling is illegal (mostly), promotions are gambling and so should be illegal.
But I'm not even sure I think gambling should be illegal.

(BTW, this isn't a rant. I don't lay awake thinking about it. Just my opinion on a subject that I haven't heard brought up before.)

 

[12thMan]

Well you can't say gambling is illegal as a reason because where these promotions are available are in legal gambling places.

I'll think about if I think they are "gambling" or not, but imho I would love to reduce the rake and not have any promotions at all in a perfect world (i never hit sets let alone f'ing quads), but I know they are not going anywhere. High hand promotions and bad beats bring people in with out a doubt and I have to live with them so I will happily scoop the extra money if it ever comes my way!

 

[pltrgyst]

If you're in a place like a card room where gambling is legal, why are you so worried about ancillary activities?

This is no time be be re-living Jack Handy's "Deep Thoughts," Greg.

:

 

[BiGGyT]

I believe everything is a gamble, including driving to the card room. I assume this is not a casino type promotion where you win a car with drawing tickets you get from play, that this is high hand, bad beat and the like. I assume it is considered pari-mutuel as it is raked/dropped and paid based on those drops, or at least that is my limited understanding of how it works. So I think you are right, it is getting your money back if you play long enough, but for the occasional player who catches a bad beat jackpot, it is fantastic.

I honestly believe that any pari-mutuel is gambling, but I have nothing against it.