Cactus Game Design Message Boards

(Don't get too excited-I'm not offering them, just asking about them. At least for now.)

Is there any set Cactus policy against offering cash prizes at Redemption tournaments? I'm not suggesting Cactus do it, but could a host run an event with a cash prize? I know Rob is very concerned about the appearance of gambling, so perhaps this should be two questions: (1) Could a host offer a cash prize completely out of their pocket? (2) Could a host offer a cash prize that was partially or fully funded by entry fees? And if a cash prize was awarded, could the tournament still be sanctioned so recipients received their promo cards and/or any prizes offered by Cactus?

I'm not talking about Magic-sized prize pools, just small prize pools split among the top three finishers.

I know you could probably run your own independent cash-prize event without Cactus approval, but I for one would be reluctant to do that. I'm not financially at the point of doing this, but I am curious if this was something that would be accepted by Cactus as part of the tournament scene.

(This is not a suggestion for State/Regional/National tournaments. I would think it would have to be a local/district event to keep it from getting out of hand.)

Somehow implementing cash prizes would do a lot to help reinvigorate the game. Unfortunately, it's simply something Cactus cannot really afford to do. As far as I know, there are no rules preventing tournament hosts from having cash prizes though.

Cactus used to award the winners of Regionals $75 to help defray their travel expenses to Nationals. I believe that if you wanted to get the cahs you had to forgo the other prizes (packs) and agree to go to Nationals.

It wasn't so much that you had to agree, you had to show up at Nationals so Rob could give it to you... 

Cactus also used to use savings bonds as prizes at Nationals.

Hey,

Bill Voigt has given away extra prizes in a raffle style to the people that placed at his annual type 2 only tournament.

Prior to 2001 high level tournaments gave savings bonds as prizes.

For a good number of years you could exchange prizes from winning regionals for travel expense reimbursement to nationals.

I think that supports that idea that cactus would be fine with cash prizes being available at tournaments, they just can't afford to supply them.

Tschow,

Tim "Sir Nobody" Maly

Offering actual cash gets into some weird tax territory