Sacred Heart School casino nights will continue this year. Similar events in Hollister had to be close after DOJs latest attack on gaming. Members of the school Parents Associations were worried from the possibility of giving up their fundraising tradition.
Sacred Heart, a private Catholic elementary and middle school, became aware of potential problems with its charity events when received a letter from the dioceses legal counsel noting state law regarding illegal gaming. According to the California Penal Code, any person or organization caught operating an illegal game of chance or a banking game, can face six month in jail and 1,000 dollars fine.
Sacred Heart popular casino night usually features blackjack, roulette, craps and slot machines. The school Parents Association decided not to hold a Texas Holdem game in the casino night, in order to avoid further legal problems.
Sacred Heart used to collect fees for buying chips and gave prizes to the winners. Now the law requires the games to be free for everyone, and the prizes to be given randomly. Sacred Heart will be capable of receiving donations, and it still can charge money for dinner and drinks. The school had to give up the reverse drawing where participants could win 10,000 dollars, because according to the law the school has to keep a minimum of 90 percent from the events profits.
