GAMBLING DEVICE CONFISCATED

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23088, 2 August 1940, Page 12

GAMBLING DEVICE CONFISCATED

• 4 ' V, ' FINE FOR OPERATING “JACK-POT MACHINE” An order for the confiscation of a gambling device known as a “jack-pot paachine” was made in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday by Mr E. C. Lewey, S.M., and a fine of £2 was imposed on ! the owner of the machine, Gilbert ■ White, who was charged with using his premises as a common gaming-house. Detective-Sergeant J. McClung said that detectives had Visited the accused’s ‘ billiards room, . Tattersall's bil- ’ i liards room, in Cashel street. They 1 found men standing round a bench at / the machine, which was operated by inserting threepenny pieces in a slot j The machine contained revolving.;’.;drums, which bore playing-card sym-|;| bols. If a player scored a number o%| aces he collected the “jack-pot” Itf’l was undoubtedly a game of chance, -5 no skill could be used in operating machine. The police were not pressing for ’f ''■? ■ heavy fine, said Mr McClung, as thju, machine had cost about £6O and they',, were going to ask for an order to codfiscate it. Nothing else was known against the, accused, but such practices had to be stopped. - Mr H. S. J. Goodman, for the accused; said that White was a young man in a delicate state of health. The object of the machine was primarily to at-' tract customers to the billiards rooip. “I think the player gets a fair return ; for his money,” said Mr Goodman. “If he is lucky,” remarked the Magistrate. “I think the bank wins in the end.” Mr Goodman said the accused had . paid £75 for the machine, having been told that its use would be permitted in New Zealand. Perhaps the police . might hold the machine to give the ac- ; cused an opportunity of disposing of it in some country where it would be allowed. “You mean, some country—or. some country place?” asked the Magistrate, ■ smiling. Mr McClung said the police had held; such machines for 12 months and been. t unable -to dispose of them. -■