[Request / Idea] Lottery Mod -- Winning real money.

[Niteblade]

After noticing all of the paypal subscription mods in existence, I was thinking that a lottery modification was in order. With a paypal donation/subscription mod, the user is giving money in exchange for special privileges.

Wouldn't it be nice if all the donations could be pooled together and then 90% of the pool be awared to a random member at the end of the month/week/day? The admin would keep 10%? 5%? of the pool to cover paypal's fees, but the rest would go to some lucky member?

I don't know how this mod will code, but I think the mod should keep a real-time tally of the dollar amount in the pool.

Some general rules or considerations:

• Members can have a chance to win again after 3 successive lotteries have been completed.
• If a winning member chooses to contribute to the pool during their \"taking-a-break-so-someone-else-can-win\" stage, then they will increase their own chance to win again by 3%? 4%? when they're eligible.
• Members who have contributed the most posts since the last lottery have a greater chance of winning.
• Members who have received the most positive karma since the last lottery will increase their chance to win.
• Members who have had the most positive SMF Trader reviews since the last lottery will increase their chances to win.
• Members who have contributed the most SMF TAGS since the last lottery will increase their chance to win.
• Members who have had the most time online since the last lottery will be eligible to win.
• Members who contribute the most the lottery pool will have a higher chance of winning.
• Members who have their birthday approaching will have a higher chance of winning.
• Members who use avatars/updated profiles/signatures will have a higher chance of winning.
• Admin cannot influence the results / Admin is not eligible to win. / Admin shouldn't create a \"dummy\" account to influence results.

The list of variables that can influence the lottery can go on and on.

If SMF can use mods that accept payments from members, then it would be a nice reversal of things if the forum could send payments to members..

Just a thought.

[uberjon]

great idea. except for the fact that in the US in order to run/own/operate something like this. you need a legal gambling license

[Joker Grafix]

There is a lottery mod already being worked on by feildmaster, though I doubt it will include real money as that would be illegal for most of us to run.

[Niteblade]

Instead of lottery, we can call it the Refund mod or the Paid-to-participate mod.

And if a website is hosted in a foreign country, would the whole "legal" issue still apply?

[uberjon]

Instead of lottery, we can call it the Refund mod or the Paid-to-participate mod.

And if a website is hosted in a foreign country, would the whole "legal" issue still apply?

not sure. based on the fact the owner/operator of the site still lives in a country where the law applies..

i.e.

i could go set up a child porn site on a china server. (yet id still get arrested for it) because im in the US (not that i ever would do something like that :/)

[Reclaimer]

I like your idea but i don't like the birthday thing because people could just change their birthday and because it's not fair on the other members, or how people that have filled in all their profile have priority.
I think it should be completely random for those who contributed to the pool!

[Tony Reid]

Instead of lottery, we can call it the Refund mod or the Paid-to-participate mod.
And if a website is hosted in a foreign country, would the whole "legal" issue still apply?

Gambling Laws would still apply.

You could however integrate it with the shop mod and earn credits... play money in effect.

[Niteblade]

Interesting.

I've had people attempt to sell me a $20 raffle ticket to win a new car, but they didn't need a gambling license for that. I wonder how that works?

[Tony Reid]

It would depend on the laws of the specific country.

In addition, when I approached the gaming commission they refused stating that in the UK  tickets cannot be sold online because they must not be sold by machine under the current legislation.

National lottery is exempt from that.

I'd love to know a way around it.

[tam2oo5]

This would be a super mod, and i think if anyone makes it could they include it to run real money and points just for the people in the countrys that this would be legal. How long till a first release anyone know?

[Niteblade]

Humph.

Instead of real money, how about members contribute to a pool of cash that will be used to purchase an Amazon.com Gift Card. The dollar amount of the gift card would depend upon the amount in the pool, less fees for transaction costs.

[tam2oo5]

Good idea, or any sort of gift card of the winners choice if appropriate. I could really see a mod like this being huge, is anyone working on it at the minute?

[SgtMic]

Bump...

Any "new" word on progress?

[karlbenson]

I don't think anyone has started developing one.

Since most possible developers of the mod would come from the UK or USA where it would be illegal to run it.