GAMING IN LICENSED PREMISES.
Gaming.
By 35 and 36 Vict., c 94, if any licensed person (1) suffers any gaming or any unlawful game to be carried on on his premises, (2) opens, uses, or suffers his house to be opened or used in contravention of 16 & 17 Vict., c. 119, he is liable for the first offence to a penalty of £10, and for every subsequent offence to a penalty of £20; the conviction to be endorsed on such person’s license.
I. Gaming. Knowledge of owner necessary.
The following cases go to show how far actual or constructive knowledge on the part of the owner of the premises is necessary.
In Redgate v. Haynes,[[410]] defendant was the landlady of an hotel at Epsom; witnesses proved that three men and a horse-trainer, a jockey, and an inhabitant of Newmarket, were playing cards for money in the sitting room from 11 p.m. The defendant retired to bed, leaving the hall porter in charge of the house. The latter closed the door and retired to his chair in the parlour, at the farthest end of the house. The usual place for such chair was in the hall, and it was his duty to wait upon his guests in the sitting room. From the Judgment delivered the following rules may be extracted: (1) The defendant would not be liable merely for the fact of gaming unless she knew of it or connived at it. (2) In her absence she was responsible for the conduct of those she left in charge. (3) The fact of the porter moving his chair out of the way was some evidence that he suffered or connived at what was going on, but the judges declined to say whether they would have drawn the same conclusion.
In Bosley v. Davies[[411]] there was evidence that persons were playing at cards in the house, but none that the manageress or the attendants knew that gaming was on. One of the players deposed that all the brandies and sodas were served before the playing commenced. The case was sent back to the magistrates with an intimation of opinion from the Court that some knowledge, actual or constructive, or connivance on the part of the owner was necessary.
In Somerset v. Hart,[[412]] defendant was keeper of licensed premises. On market day when the inn was very full, two men began gambling with a mug and three nuts. It was proved that the potman knew of gambling, but took no steps to prevent it, nor did he communicate it to the landlord, who was engaged serving customers at the bar. Coleridge, C.J., in giving judgment, distinguished the case of Redgate v. Haynes,[[413]] on the ground that there the magistrates thought there was evidence of connivance. Mullins v. Collins was a case of serving a constable with liquor while on duty; but there the liquor was served by a woman who was probably defendant’s wife, to whom the management of the business had been entrusted. Here the magistrates find that there was no evidence that defendant had actual knowledge of the gaming, or that the potman communicated it to him, or that he wilfully shut his eyes to what was going on. All the cases show that there must be something in the nature of connivance. See, too, ante p. 175.
The case of Bond v. Evans,[[414]] carried the matter somewhat further. The defendant, a licensed victualler, had a skittle alley attached to his premises, the management of which he entrusted to a servant. It was proved that cards were played for money in the alley, and that the servant was cognisant of the fact, though the defendant was not. It was held that, the landlord of licensed premises “suffered” gaming to be carried on when there was connivance at it, either on his own part or on the part of any servant in charge of that part of the house where gaming went on.
What is gaming within the Act?
To be within the act there must be either gaming for money or playing some unlawful game. Thus in Reg. v. Ashton[[415]] (a case within 9 Geo. IV., c. 61, section 21) it was held that playing at dominoes, but not for money, was lawful, dominoes not being an unlawful game.
In Danford v. Taylor,[[416]] the game of ten-pins, the losers standing beer all round, was held to be within the Act.
In Bew v. Harston,[[417]] a licensed person allowed to be played on his premises a game called “puff and dart,” the object of which is to hit a mark on a target with a small dart blown through a tube. The players each contributed 2d. as entrance money, the total sum so contributed being applied to the purchase of a rabbit as a prize for the winners. Held that he was rightly convicted of gaming on licensed premises. Cockburn, C.J., doubted whether the term “gaming” did not apply to games of chance alone.
Except for the doubts thus expressed in the last case, the authorities seemed to be all one way, that playing for money, even at a game exclusively of skill, is “gaming”: this view has since been adopted in Dyson v. Mason.[[418]]
Card playing.
In Patten v. Rymer[[419]] an innkeeper, whose license forbade him to suffer gaming on his premises, was held liable under 9 George IV., c. 61, section 21, for playing cards for money with his friends.
Although 37 & 38 Vict., c. 49, permits licensed persons to serve liquors to private friends after hours, there is nothing in that act which justifies him in allowing the friends in his house to play cards for money.[[420]] Section 25 of the Act of 1872, which imposes a penalty on persons found in licensed premises during prohibited hours for the purpose of being served with liquor, does not extend to cases where they are only playing cards or other games.[[421]]
Unlawful games.
As to what are unlawful games, see ante p. 152.
Money lent by publican for gaming cannot be recovered.
In Foot v. Baker[[422]] it was held that money lent by a publican for the purpose of gaming in his premises contrary to his license cannot be recovered.
II. Using the house for betting.
Reference should be made to the notes on “What is Illegal Betting” in the chapter on Betting Houses. It would seem, therefore, that there is no objection to a publican keeping a room in his house for other people to bet in, in the same way as betting is practised at the Clubs; but he must not bet with his customers himself, nor allow anyone else to use the house for the purpose of betting with all comers.
In Sim v. Page[[423]] it was held that licensed victuallers are still liable to be proceeded against, under the Gaming and Betting House Acts, notwithstanding this Statute see section 59.