EDIT 06/20/2023
As of the same date of this edit, Roblox has officially moved to ban simulated gambling by September 18th, 2023 (in 3 months), which means that all forms of gambling are no longer allowed on the platform. This contrasts the prior stance to which, as long as there was no Robux involved, it could be passable.
The advice in this post is no longer accurate. Please avoid sharing this as an answer. For more information, please see Updating our policy on simulated gambling in the thread Create Experiences for People 17 and Older on Roblox.
Yes. It is against the rules because there is involvement of Robux indirectly. While you may offer a betting system that can only be utilised purely with in game currency, the notion that you can buy such currency with Robux makes this problematic and will result in moderation.
You have two options on what you can do to rectify this system such that it’s allowed:
-
Remove the ability to purchase currency. Do not make any kind of exchange whatsoever that, at any step of the process, Robux can be involved, whether directly or indirectly.
-
Separate your currencies. Use a currency specific to gambling activities that can be earned through completing tasks in your game only (cannot be bought, cannot be exchanged to from other currency types). You are allowed to make this gambling-specific currency exchangeable for currency that can also be purchased with Robux, but not the other way around.
Robux should not be involved at any time when you’re working with gambling mechanics on Roblox, no matter how obscure you make it. For easier understanding of what I mean, I’ll make an absolute “ELI5” chart of some common flows thought around gambling that you might consider.
- ALLOWED: Complete activities → Earn gambling currency → Bet with gambling currency
- ALLOWED: Convert gambling currency to standard currency*
- ALLOWED: Game passes that boost your abilities to earning either currency
- NOT ALLOWED: Buy gambling currency → Bet with gambling currency
- NOT ALLOWED: Buy standard currency → Bet with standard currency
- NOT ALLOWED: Buy standard currency → Convert to betting currency → Bet with gambling currency
* Standard currency can still be purchasable with Robux. The spirit of the rule is “if it’s possible for a player to lose their Robux, it’s not allowed”. All purchases must be honoured and grant the player exactly what they paid for.
As your system revolves around paying to enter a tournament and being able to lose your entry fee as a result of losing, your system must abide by the gambling policy and as such the above rules are applicable. An additional third point you can use to rectify your system is to not instill an entry fee on your tournament, but allow rewards to keep increasing as players win. The moment you remove a need to pay to enter, this system no longer falls under gambling policies because it’s not possible to lose anything from losing the tournament.
Please see this post for more information regarding gambling on Roblox: