Bad Deal in Georgia

[silverscreenselect]

A Georgia couple has filed a class action lawsuit against NBC and two companies connected with the show Deal or No Deal alleging that the Lucky Case Game call-in promotion violates Georgia's gaming laws. They want to get the 99 cents they spent guessing the case back, and being a class action want to recover for everyone else in the state of Georgia as well who played the game and lost.

The case was filed in federal court last year but was referred by the District Court to the Georgia Supreme Court on the question of whether Georgia law permits losers of illegal lotteries to sue to get their money back and, if so, if they can recover from the lottery's organizer or promoter.

The game allowed show viewers to leave a text message during a telecast guesing which one of six numbered cases was the "lucky case." One person who selected correctly received $10,000. The cost per call was 99 cents. Although NBC has stopped the promotion, a number of similar promotions have run on other game shows and even episodes of CSI in which viewers were challenged to guess the killer each week. One other similar law suit has been filed in California.

The case was argued before the Georgia Supreme Court this week. The lawyer from NBC claimed that NBC did not receive the proceeds of the phone call charge and that the game was a promotion, not an illegal lottery.

[NellyLunatic1980]

So wouldn't this then automatically make that Georgia couple guilty of illegal gambling? HELLO!

[earendel]

A Georgia couple has filed a class action lawsuit against NBC and two companies connected with the show Deal or No Deal alleging that the Lucky Case Game call-in promotion violates Georgia's gaming laws. They want to get the 99 cents they spent guessing the case back, and being a class action want to recover for everyone else in the state of Georgia as well who played the game and lost.

The case was filed in federal court last year but was referred by the District Court to the Georgia Supreme Court on the question of whether Georgia law permits losers of illegal lotteries to sue to get their money back and, if so, if they can recover from the lottery's organizer or promoter.

The game allowed show viewers to leave a text message during a telecast guesing which one of six numbered cases was the "lucky case." One person who selected correctly received $10,000. The cost per call was 99 cents. Although NBC has stopped the promotion, a number of similar promotions have run on other game shows and even episodes of CSI in which viewers were challenged to guess the killer each week. One other similar law suit has been filed in California.

The case was argued before the Georgia Supreme Court this week. The lawyer from NBC claimed that NBC did not receive the proceeds of the phone call charge and that the game was a promotion, not an illegal lottery.

Is this why there haven't been any "Lucky Case" games lately?

What they should have done is gone online and registered. That's what I did.

[MarleysGh0st]

The lawyer from NBC claimed that NBC did not receive the proceeds of the phone call charge and that the game was a promotion, not an illegal lottery.

I'll be interested to hear what they disclose in this case. For instance, how many people played the game, both by phone and online, how much money it raised by phone and who did receive that revenue?

Even if none of the money went directly to NBC, it certainly must have offset the expenses NBC would have incurred had it decided to offer an 800 number without that 99 cent charge. Is an expense avoided any different than a direct source of revenue?

I don't know who enters these games at 99 cents a call, thinking they're a good deal.

[silvercamaro]

Let me guess. One partner in the suing couple happens by coincidence to be an attorney.

Both partners in the couple happen to be annoying idiots.

I hope that neither happens to resemble, even remotely, Rep. Henry Waxman.

[gsabc]

Another case of greedy lawyers seeking a payday. Even should this be successful, the people will get coupons for a free text message or some such, while the lawyers will get their cut in cash.