GAMING CHARGES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 100, 28 March 1939, Page 9

GAMING CHARGES.

MACHINES TO BE DESTROYED. AN AUCKLAND CASE. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, March 27. Armed with a search warrant, detectives visited an amusement parlour known as Kportslaml, ill .Mission Bay. on Saturday night, and arrested the proprietor, Richard Adam James Xixon. oil two charges under the Gaming Act. The officers seized three fruit machines. When Nixon appeareil m -tlie -Mgaistrate's Court before Mr Orr Walker. SAL, this morning, the police stated that the operating of such gambling devices was becoming a public nuisance. The Magistrate ordered two of the machines to he forthwith destroyed and deferred consideration of the other till to-morrow morning.

Nixon, for whom Air Steadman appeared, was charged that, being tin* occupier of premises at Mission Bay known a.s Sportsland. lie used them as a common gaming house on March 20, and on the same date, being the occupier of a caravan situated at the same premises, lie used it as a common gaming house. In both cases accused pleaded guilty. Tt was stated by Defective-Sergeant AValsli. who prosecuted, that Nixon was the owner of an amusement par lour at Mission Bay. This contained about 7)0 table games, mostly of the pin table type. For a long time past complaints ' had been received by the police about the fruit machines installed. These, of which tlice _ were three, were operated bv placing a coin in a slot and manipulating a handle or lever. “It is a well-known fact that the percentage is greatly in favour of the person operating and owning these machines,” added Mr Walsh. “Go Saturday detectives found two fruit machines installed in a caravan adjacent to the amusement parlour. The third fruit machine was operated on a different principle from the other two machines, but, like the other two, it was purely a game of chance.” LEGAL POSITION. Detective-Sergeant Walsh added that as late as 1934, following a ease which was contested, it had been hold that fruit machines were instruments of gaming. Nixon’s establishment was frequented largely by young people. In one machine seized there was £7 16s, and 10s in another. Under section 7 of the Gaming Act Mr Walsh asked the Magistrate to make an order for the confiscation and destruction of the three machines mentioned. “There are many of these machines in use and we arc continually receiving complaints about them,” Mr Walsh said. “Nixon is interested in other machines in other premises. This offence is regarded by the police as a serious one.”

Remarking that ho knew fruit machines were illegal, Mr Steadman asked the (Magistrate to differentiate between the two fruit machines and another operated on the principle of a pin table. In this machine there was an element of skill. Counsel asked the Magistrate to inspect it before making any order for its destruction. Tlie two fruit machines had cost Nixon £75 to land, and the third machine £9O. This more modern machine could he altered to operate as an ordinary pennv-in-tlie-slot machine similar to hundreds which were being played in Auckland. Mr Orr 'Walker: I have no hesitation in ordering two of the fruit machines To bo destroyed forthwith. Tliat order T now make. On one charge Nixon was fined £lO. Mr Orr Walker reserved his decision concerning the other machine.