HOTEL RAFFLES

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 91, 17 April 1943, Page 6

HOTEL RAFFLES

LICENSEE FINED £50

GAMING CHARGES FAIL

An unusual charge that of knowingly permitting the Exchange Hotel, Parnell, to be used-as a common gaming house, was brought brought against the licensee, Thomas Edward Tasker, in the"Police Couit yesterday afternoon. Defendant was also charged with assisting in the establishment of a lottery. Norman Finch pleaded guilty to a charge of establishing a lottery, but he denied a further charge of assisting in the conduct of a common gaming house. Mr. R. P. Towle appeared for both defendants. Tasker pleaded not guilty to the first charge brought against him, but admitted the other count referring to the lottery—the raffling of beer in the Senior-Detective Walsh, who prosecuted, led evidence showing that during portions of the months of February and March, gaming had been carried on in the bars almost continuously. On March 20 three bookmakers were arrested in the hotel. They were subsequently convicted, while another man who had sold "tote" tickets had also been dealt with. Finch had continuously raffled beer in the bar. Constable J. O. Nixon regularly attended the hotel and made a number of bets with bookmakers on the premises, sometimes in the presence of the licensee. For the defence, Mr. Towle submitted that the prosecution must fail. When seen by the police, Tasker, while admitting that Finch conducted beer raffles, denied any knowledge that bookmaking had been carried on in the hotel. There was no evidence in support of the allegation that Tasker knowingly permitted his premises to be used as a common gaming house. The charges referring to alleged gaming brought against Tasker and Finch were dismissed by the magistrate, Mr. J. H. Luxford. On the charge of assisting in the establishment of a lottery, Tasker was fined £50. For establishing a lottery, Finch was fined £25. Mr. Luxford said licensees must realise that the raffling of beer on their premises was seriously regarded.