What is a reasonable "fee" for food, drink. etc?

[kodonnell]

I would definitely steer away from charging an entry fee (any money the players are required to pay on top of what goes into the prize pool). This could be construed by authorities as a commercial gambling house. Taking money from the prize pool for food/drinks is the same thing.

I would suggest stating the entry for the tournament is $50 and you will be accepting an additional $5-10 for personal beverages/food. If they pay the extra 5-10, they get beverages/food. If not, they don't. But even this is a bit sticky.

I host a weekly tournament and have never asked for additional money on top of the prize pool for anything. Players know this and expect to bring their own beverages. My fridge is usually stocked with beer (mostly for me) but players sometimes dip into it. It's a bit of an expense, but it is worth not risking the legal issues associated with taking additional money. I consider the additional expense just a cost of the convenience of having a game at my house.