ILLEGAL GAMES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22928, 5 January 1938, Page 16

ILLEGAL GAMES

]* MISSION BAY FETE I OPERATORB PROSEOUTED i • - p - \ L i COURT IMPOSES £5 FINES 1 -' * Operators of the amusements known j as "squares" and "rings" conducted at the Mission Bay carnival over Clirist- | mas and Year appeared in the j Po]ice Court yesterday before Mr. F. j K. Hunt, S.M,, charged with playing games of chance with tables and coins. Pleas of not guilty were entered by the accused, Matthew Cvitanavich (Mr. Schramm), Harry Pell and Thomas Albert Collins (Mr. Hall Skelton). "The games controlled by accused J are a species of amusement designed to extract small sums of money from the I pockets of the-young and foolish," said f Detective-Sergeant McHugh. "There are no set rules, and, as the games are S vested in the owners, the rules can be i made to suit them. The public is given II - no opportunity to become expert at the games, in which the element of chance far exceeds that of skill, if there is any skill in them at all." Describing observations made at the

I, carnival on New Year's Night, Detecjj tive F. N. Alpin said two of the games : consisted of throwing silver coins on to squared cloth ? standing on tables 1 ft. |j by sft. and 14ft. by 6ft., which were i 4ft. from the publio barricade. The larger the coin, the greater the odds that were offered, but although ho watched nearly 100 persons try their ] luck, the percentage of losing shots greatly outnumbered winning ones, "Pure Chance" "Among the players were a number of boys and girls, aged from nine to 15 years," witness said. "One operator had nearly £23 in his possession, and when I invited him to give me a demon- ~ etration of his game,. I found it was practically impossible to view the game j except as one of pure chance." Regarding the game of "rings," run by the accused Collins, witness said it was played with light brass rings, sold .at Id each, with, which players attempted to "ring" small silver coins spread over a large circular table. There was £3O in threepences atfd sixpences on the table, in addition to postal notes, on which halfpennies were placed to bo ringed. The rings j\ bounced and mlled, and it was only by j chance that any coins were*evor won. Not Previously Challenged .

Mr. Skelton said the games had been played in New Zealand for mjiny years, but had never before been challenged. Before being set up at a carnival they had to be licensed by the local authorities. In this City Council granted the licences, after obtaining reports from the police. "None of the accused has been previously convicted,"* said Mr. Schramm, who suggested that if it were held that the games were a matter of chance, no convictions should be entered, as it might affect the men's chances of obtaining future show licences. "They will, if they have to, change their games to meet the law," counsel added. "They know now that such games are wrong," said the magistrate. "It as my opinion that the, games are a straightout swindle. There might be some, modicum of skill in them if the articles i thrown, were able toj land flat .and not roll about on the tables." Each of the accused was, fined £5 tod costs, 10s. *'f