Rohsler on...
Occasional studies from the casebook of gambling, games, risk and regulation
I have written a number of books, and as a result I have a storehouse of knowledge and opinions on aspects of gambling law and practice. Below is a set of articles and postings which may be of use to the general public, although they should not be considered to be legal advice.
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Betting syndicates | September 2026
More syndicate than sinning: what is a betting syndicate, and is it legal?Betting syndicates are legal, common and almost entirely undocumented in the legal literature. They are not businesses, but they can drift into becoming one. They are treated with suspicion by banks, and by almost no one else. This is the first of a short series of articles on how syndicates work, where the legal stress points lie and what can be done about them.
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Slot games | September 2026
The windmills of my mind: what is a slot game, and why does the law care what it looks like?Online slot games now carry their own stake limits and their own design rules. Which games are caught depends on a definition which looks at how a game is displayed, and says nothing about how it is played or what harm it may do. This article looks at that definition, and at the odd results it produces.
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Exempt lotteries | September 2026
Raffles, sweepstakes and tombolas: which small lotteries can you run without a licence?The raffle at a charity ball, the tombola at a church fete and the office Grand National sweepstake are all lotteries in law. Most can be run perfectly lawfully without a licence, but only within limits which the Gambling Act 2005 sets out in some detail. This is a short guide to where those limits lie.
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Skill and chance | September 2026
Skill, chance and uncertainty: three different (but related) concepts in English gambling lawWhether a product is gaming, a lottery, a bet or a lawful contest often turns on three words which the public uses loosely and the law does not. This piece explains what each means, why they must be kept apart, and how they work in the definitions of gaming, lotteries and betting.
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Social casinos | September 2026
Can an unregulated social casino operate in the UK?Sweepstake casinos have spread rapidly across the United States. Can the same dual-currency model be offered to British consumers without a Gambling Commission licence? In my view it can, but only if the route by which winnings leave the platform is built with real care.
Posts
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Post | October 2026
Hall of Fame again: Legal 500 UK Solicitors 2027Carl Rohsler is listed once more in the Legal 500 Hall of Fame for gaming and betting, and thanks the clients who spoke to the researchers.