Case Title: GOOTT v STATE

Citation: 

Docket Number: 

State: montana

Court: Montana Supreme Court

Date: 1981-07-02T00:00:00Z

Document:
NO. 80-437 I N THE SUPREME COURT O F THE STATE O F MONTANA 1981 JOSEPH GOOTT, P l a i n t i f f and Respondent, VS. STATE O F MONTANA e t a l . , Defendants and Appellants. Appeal from: D i s t r i c t Court of t h e Second J u d i c i a l District, I n and f o r t h e County of S i l v e r Bow. Honorable James Freebourn, Judge p r e s i d i n g . Counsel of Record: For Appellants: Hon. Mike Greely, Attorney General, argued, and Allen Chronister, A s s i s t a n t Pittorney General, argued, Helena, Montana John Winston, County Attorney, Butte, Montana For Respondent: J. Mayo Ashley argued, Helena, Montana For Amicus Curiae: Marc F. Racicot, County Prosecutor Services Bureau, Helena, Montana Dowling Law Firm, Helena, Montana John P. Poston, Helena, Montana Submitted: June 8, 1981 Decided : 2 - I@@ M r . Chief J u s t i c e Frank I. H a s w e l l d e l i v e r e d t h e Opinion of t h e C o u r t . Joseph Goott brought a d e c l a r a t o r y j udgment act i o n i n t h e S i l v e r Bow County District Court to d e t e r m i n e whether a gambling game marketed by Goott was law£ u l i n Montana. The District Court h e l d t h a t t h e game known as "Poker A l l Keno" was law£ u l under t h e Montana Card G a m e s A c t , s e c t i o n s 23-5-301 e t s e q . , MCA. On a p p e a l t h e S t a t e a s k s t h i s Court to d e t e r m i n e whether t h e game "Poker A l l Keno" is l a w f u l under e i t h e r t h e Montana Card G a m e s A c t , s u p r a , or t h e Bingo and R a f f l e s Law, s e c t i o n s 23-5-401 e t seq., MCA. The game of "Poker A l l Keno" is played using equipment which is similar to t h a t commonly used to p l a y keno. A t r a n s p a r e n t r e c e p t a c l e h o l d s 52 b a l l s , each b e a r i n g t h e r e p r e s e n - t a t i o n of a card i n a c o n v e n t i o n a l deck of p l a y i n g c a r d s . A i r p r e s s u r e is used to mix t h e s e b a l l s , and f i v e b a l l s are t h e n blown a t random i n t o a t r a n s p a r e n t t u b e . The b a l l s so chosen are d i s p l a y e d to t h e p l a y e r s on a l i g h t e d w a l l s c r e e n . P r i o r to t h e commencement of s h u f f l i n g and s e l e c t i o n , t h e p l a y e r s a t t e m p t to g u e s s which b a l l s or combinations of b a l l s w i l l be chosen. The combinations which p l a y e r s can choose are based on t h e l'handsll commonly encountered i n poker, and a1 t e r n a t i v e l y t h e p l a y e r s may g u e s s whether each "card" is high or l o w . The game can be played by marking c a r d s or s l i p s w i t h g u e s s e s or by p l a c i n g b e t s on a game t a b l e . The odds on g u e s s i n g s u c c e s s f u l l y are g i v e n t o t h e p l a y e r s on t h e game board and on t h e s l i p s , and t h e "house" makes p a y o f f s to t h e p l a y e r s a c c o r d i n g l y . Goott, as t h e owner of t h e p a t e n t and c o p y r i g h t f o r t h e trademarked game of "Poker A l l Keno", d i d n o t want to assume t h e r i s k of p r o s e c u t i o n should t h e game be i l l e g a l i n Montana. T h e r e f o r e , he f i l e d a c o m p l a i n t p r a y i n g for a d e c l a r a t i o n t h a t t h e game w a s l e g a l under t h e Bingo and R a f f l e s Law, s e c t i o n s 23-5-401 e t seq., MCA. The p a r t i e s submitted an agreed s t a t e m e n t o f f a c t s and each p a r t y submitted proposed f i n d i n g s and c o n c l u s i o n s . The S t a t e s proposed f i n d i n g s concluded t h a t "Poker A l l Keno" was l a w f u l under t h e Bingo and R a f f l e s Law. Goottls proposed f i n d i n g s , which were adopted by t h e District C o u r t , concluded "Poker A l l Keno" was l a w f u l under t h e Montana Card G a m e s A c t . Judgment was e n t e r e d a c c o r d i n g l y . On a p p e a l , t h e S t a t e c o n t e n d s t h a t "Poker A l l Keno" is governed by t h e Bingo and R a f f l e s Law and n o t by t h e Montana Card G a m e s A c t , and f u r t h e r a r g u e s t h a t t h e game is i l l e g a l . Goott now c o n t e n d s h i s game is l a w f u l under t h e Bingo and R a f f l e s A c t , and a r g u e s t h a t t h e S t a t e should be b a r r e d from a s s e r t i n g t h e i l l e g a l i t y of keno f o r t h e f i r s t t i m e on a p p e a l . A s amici c u r i a e , t h e Hofbrau and t h e Montana Coin Machine O p e r a t o r s A s s o c i a t i o n a g r e e w i t h G o o t t , and t h e Montana County A t t o r n e y s A s s o c i a t i o n a r g u e s f o r a review l i m i t e d to t h e i s s u e determined b y t h e D i s t r i c t Court judgment. The Montana C o n s t i t u t i o n , Article 111, S e c t i o n 9 , p r o v i d e s t h a t a l l forms of gambling are p r o h i b i t e d u n l e s s a u t h o r i z e d by t h e l e g i s l a t u r e or by t h e people through i n i t i a t i v e or referendum. I n 1974 t h e l e g i s l a t u r e passed t h e Montana Card G a m e s A c t , s e c t i o n s 23-5-301 e t seq., MCA, l e g a l i z i n g c e r t a i n s p e c i f i e d card games i n c l u d i n g poker. W e r e c e n t l y r e j e c t e d a c h a l l e n g e to t h e c o n s t i t u t i o n a l i t y of t h e Montana Card G a m e s A c t i n Palmer v. S t a t e of Montana ( 1 9 8 1 ) , Mont . , 625 P.2d 550, 38 St.Rep. 447, wherein we noted: "The [Card Games] A c t e x p r e s s e s t h e l e g i s l a t i v e i n t e n t i o n t h a t o n l y c e r t a i n card games by which par- t i c i p a n t s v i e a g a i n s t one a n o t h e r , i n t e r se, s h a l l be a u t h o r i z e d and t h a t card games where e a c h p l a y e r v i e s a g a i n s t t h e house are p r o h i b i t e d . The obvious l e g i s l a t i v e purpose is t o ban casino-type gambling ." Palmer v. State, Mont. , 625 P.2d a t 551, 38 St.Rep. a t 449. While "Poker A l l Keno" p o s s e s s e s some of t h e i n d i c i a of p o k e r , t h e game is e s s e n t i a l l y a v a r i a t i o n of keno. The tech- n i c a l d e s c r i p t i o n of t h e game c o n f i r m s t h a t p a r t i c i p a n t s do n o t compete a g a i n s t one a n o t h e r b u t r a t h e r each p l a y e r competes a g a i n s t t h e house, t h e o p e r a t o r of t h e game. It is t h e r e f o r e a c a s i n o - t y p e or banking game which t h e l e g i s l a t u r e d i d n o t intend t o a u t h o r i z e by t h e Montana Card G a m e s A c t . Palmer, s u p r a . The D i s t r i c t Court e r r e d i n d e t e r m i n i n g t h a t "Poker A l l Keno" w a s l e g a l under t h e Montana Card G a m e s A c t . W e do n o t r e a c h t h e i s s u e of whether "Poker A l l Kenon is l e g a l under t h e Bingo and R a f f l e s Law, s e c t i o n s 23-5-401 e t s e q . , MCA. The District Court i n a d o p t i n g t h e r e s p o n d e n t ' s proposed f i n d i n g s and c o n c l u s i o n s d i d n o t r u l e on t h e l e g a l i t y of t h e game under t h e Bingo and R a f f l e s Law. Consequently, t h a t i s s u e is not b e f o r e t h i s Court f o r review. A d d i t i o n a l l y t h e S t a t e f o r t h e f i r s t t i m e on a p p e a l a r g u e s t h a t keno is i l l e g a l . A s t h e l e g a l i t y of keno was n o t an i s s u e b e f o r e t h e District Court i n t h i s case, we d e c l i n e to r u l e on t h i s q u e s t i o n . Northern P l a i n s Resource Council v. Board of N a t u r a l Resources ( 1 9 7 9 ) , Mont . , 594 P.2d 297, 36 St.Rep. 666. The judgment of t h e District Court is r e v e r s e d . Judgment is e n t e r e d h o l d i n g t h a t "Poker A l l Keno" is n o t l a w f u l under t h e Montana Card Games A c t , s e c t i o n s 23-5-301 e t seq., MCA. Chief J u s t i c e M r . J u s t i c e Frank B. Morrison, Jr., c o n c u r r i n g : I c o n c u r i n t h e h o l d i n g t h a t "Poker A l l Keno" is n o t governed by t h e Card Games A c t , s e c t i o n 23-5-301, e t seq., MCA. However, I would hold t h a t t h e game is l a w f u l under t h e Bingo and R a f f l e s A c t , s e c t i o n s 23-5-401, e t seq., MCA M r . J u s t i c e John C. Sheehy c o n c u r r i n g : I c o n c u r because Palmer v. S t a t e , s u p r a , is stare d e c i s i s .