The Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 1908. GAMBLING.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 399, 18 June 1908, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 1908. GAMBLING.

,_4 IT is not generally known what the position of the law in New Zealand is in regard to card-play-ing for money. The majority of people are under the very natural impression that if any game of cards is played for money, this amounts to a breach of the law and renders the players liable to prosecution. But this is by no means always the case, except on licensed premises, and where by - laws govern the billiard rooms. In the eye of the law games of cards may be classed under two heads, those which are pure games of chance, aud those which involve both skill and chance. It is, of course a criminal offence to play a game of chance for money ; but in dealing with games of mixed chance and skill, for example euchre, the position of the law at present is that although oue may play such a game for money yet he is not committing an unlawful act, except as before mentioned; so that one may play euchre for stakes, and thus actually gamble,*and yet remain in perfect harmony with the law ! This immoral state of things must surely call forth the condemnation of every right-think-ing citizen. It openly encourages the growth of gambling ; for it is foolish to urge that because some amount of skill may be involved in a certain game of cards, therefore it is not gambling to play the particular game for money or other stakes. As a matter of fact the Supreme Court has recognised that the playing ot games of mixed chance and skill for stakes is gambling, although it is not gambling of a kind that bungs the participator within the reach of the criminal law. The evil is made all the greater by reason of the fact that such card-games as have been declared unlawful by both the English and New Zealand Courts are games which are not at all common, such as basset, hazard pak-a-poo, fan-tan, yankee grab, whereas those which have been held to be games of mixed chance aud skill, and which may accordingly be lawfully played, are games which enjoy a considerable popu-1

larily. The N.Z. Government has taken some steps to restrain the increase of gambling in certain domains, hut it is a gross inconsistency and a violation of first canons of statesmanship to limit an evil in one direction only to restore the old position of affairs by allowing the evil to spread itself it a different direction. The absurdity and danger of the present state of things is so patent that it can surely not remain unremedied for any length of time, and we hope that the coming session will see a salutary measure placed upon the statute book which shall be consistent with the policy the Government has professed to follow in the past, that is the restraint and suppression of the craze for gambling which is one of the most wide-spread and alarming evils to be coped with in this country. We shall have more to say on this subject in a later issue.