Blitz on illegal housie

Press, 27 November 1980, Page 26

Blitz on illegal housie

PA Invercargill Gaming inspectors of the Department of Internal Affairs have found that at least half the housie games being run in Southland are illegal. Three inspectors in the department at Dunedin have started to patrol housie venues throughouf Southland in an effort t< stop the illegal games being run by organisations.

The department’s district officer, Mrs C. M, Thompson, said that bout 225 organisations had housie licences.

"At least half of these

are breaching the rules in some way,” she said. The inspectors had not closed-any games, “We are issuing warnings, rather than prosecuting, but if they ignore the warnings, we will take sterner action.” Mrs Thompson said. ‘‘We have chosen to issue a jublic warning because many of the public do not have any idea of what is egal.”

M any organisations were breaching the housie regulations by offering prizes far in excess of the legal limits, she said. Regulations restrict total prize-money for each

game to $4O and the jackpot to $5O. “One organisation is offering total prizes of $4BO for one game of housie,” she said.

Many organisers were under the impression that a game now being played as a “lucky housie” was a lottery, but that game was housie and must be played in accordance with housit regulations. “In most cases,, organisations are charging 50c to SI for a card, and paying out prizes of up to $500,” Mrs Thompson said.

One of the department’s main concerns was that

organisations that played according to the regulations were suffering because housie players were drawn to illegal? games.

In Christchurch, the department had issued no warning to housie organisers. said its district offi’er, Mr L. W.'Skerten.

“We make regular checks, but we are not tware of any problems, there may be some minor breaches of the regulations, but nothing to worry about,” he said. If the department's inspectors did find any illegal games, the police would be told. ?