The cost of the entry fee for the 40th annual world open chess tournament is 350$!! But why someone would spend that amount of money for playing chess? It would be better to gamble, surely there are more chances of winning the money back.
And of course FIDE and USCF should also be charged with illegal gambling if they don't have a licence, since chess is a game, and that amount of money is not for playing a game.
Let's hope chess.com will make soon a chess federation too, so everyone can have a legal rating here, instead of going under USCF or FIDE.
Chess is a skill-based game of perfect information. While there is "luck" in chess, it has nothing at all to do with what happens on the board. Because the results of any particular game is entirely about skill, having prize money for tournaments is not gambling and doesn't fall under gambling legislation in most jurisdictions.
As for why someone would spend that much on chess -- the answer is "because it is fun." If the only reason you're going to Phili over the July 4th weekend is to win your section, of course, you're almost certainly coming home disappointed. But if you're going in order to take part in an historic chess event in an historic city over a national holiday, then you can't help but have a good time.
As for chess.com forming their own federation. I wouldn't hold your breath.
The cost of the entry fee for the 40th annual world open chess tournament is 350$!! But why someone would spend that amount of money for playing chess? It would be better to gamble, surely there are more chances of winning the money back.
And of course FIDE and USCF should also be charged with illegal gambling if they don't have a licence, since chess is a game, and that amount of money is not for playing a game.
Let's hope chess.com will make soon a chess federation too, so everyone can have a legal rating here, instead of going under USCF or FIDE.