not game of chance

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 252, 21 July 1934, Page 22

not game of chance

Mah Jongg Prosecution Fails By Telegraph.—Press Association. Timaru, July 19. A case of some interest was heard in the Magistrate’s Court to-day, when Will.e Wong, a Chinese fruiterer, was charged with keeping a gaming house, and four other Chinese were charged with being found in a gaming house. The ease was a sequel to a police raid, when accused were found in the kitchen of the premises playing mah jongg. Each man had a pile of money In front of him. ,i . The case hinged on the determination of mah jongg was a game of chance, thereby an unlawful gume. t A police witness, Percy Chew Lee, described the game, stating that skill was involved in determining what tiles, as the pieces are called, were held by opponents, and what they were endeavouring to build up. An exhibition game was given in court by four Chinese. The magistrate, Mr. C. R. Orr Walker, said the police ease rested on whether mah jongg was a game of pure chance or whether it contained 11 sufficient element of skill to remove it from tliat category. The Legislature had determined certain Chinese games as unlawful, but mah Jongg was not included, lie came to the conclusion that lhere was a substantial amount of skill in the game, and the police cases must fail. The informations were dismissed. '