**OFFiCE OF**  **THE ATTORNEY**  **GENERAL OF**  **TEXAS AUSTIN** 



# lion. vi.3.Earcon couniy .5ttorno~ &irCS CO~URty 

### hnderson, TSXRP Dar sir: 

### February2?.,1939

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### Opinionno. O-366 -_ . Be: 14 the gml0 knwm iia 'Bingo" a ololal.loXi of the Feel Zcde?..
Your rsqudst foF 'an opinion on the ,obo*e stat85 qucrstlon hss bsog~ro&qd:by *hIa offios.

IT?tish to l&s& ybu,for.& very sblv ;?r 14s SUbwitted i::l\h

YOUr iaqoiri, ths,tsCl4%4iir~ of gmat saas.eca?lce



### in pccs~thg’upon

yt3v qtrsstion.

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33 qCi+'f'*om'~our brief aa follow6:

. : Tje d'ssor1pii~n'*0r **tbs** iguasof sa follOwi:‘= alp.0 1s *tThb.~ks~cperofA.h game provides oarda

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### oki-i@loh sip+ nu$iberp in ~0~6. Thsrs srs flve'nwbera'in ciGoh.&w borlrsbtallr an3 verti&my. hiisnumber Of player6 oan $ay rupcith4*~6ymeat ot a starpa 0: 10 

### onnts a .g6Rce...Ths'~Jrsspersslsote st rsndom 4 player 

### who -itches nrmbih;rIA+ b 11 stop6 on;th& numbsz ?s



### %bal? late a.box aad whntever
~0alLcd i3ytlieti.sspersnd the ~lfiysr who66 0n.A trira

.thr 6635 number **eover5** the nwibsr vdkh eoae @b&sot, suob.ee a bean, buttcn 91' ,yrsl.t M oorn, which is prOQiba*~ by t:,ckesper. 'i'he

methti of nuuibsr 

### selectlon.azIoallin&+, ccw:.tnus6 wt.11 a plapar 007ess 03 entire rc..of nuAer6, Wh6thsT the **raw** ti6 :~orisontel, oertionl **or** diagonal. The ple'ltr tnouts "Kcini30*

dn6.the g't:ne

ents.. 5% wtnzina player is &ven iitl0lce.tor etub whloh is redeemable either In m~rohandi66 or 

### monensy.

I --The 4ceJ!cr ~ct*~mities the amber Of point6 theI,ewe word :n sodt igloe. Ii the keeper ounouimea a %undmd point* gaac, the oasi. .ptize thn wlmer reouives ia ten dailars; 

# irRVlfty ?ointm eam3. t!m award is rive. dollar6 end nogn. The nlraost unlPsrS61 ,.* praetlos ~093~ rifinlnr,~pleger4 Is to Md6ex-l;;-.sir

tickets in motlc~ whioh t:bspl6yer cbtaS3s by tcnileriaa his tiokirt to tho eSsliMtor or kccpcr of the gmn. .?Bsts, o~unilt~roor tables annBbulUlog aro fur**niahe6** by the eshlbitor.'*
wtlolco 019, 820 on3 t%., ?sml F,o.:e, **read** as ~all.IOICs:

"Art. 619. If **any** p4rso.u s&Al dlrsotly, or &a sqmt or 4m~loyo for another, or **t.broui!h say**  **n<mnt or**  **a;.~&.?-, keep**  **or trxlli3it**  for the p1rpos4 nf grc:drif~, nny polls: c~xi4, di~xr~dt~$ table, **bent,** wh68i **Or** 

### dsrtoo **SOY?** the gurpose of'~~~lng tiloh 1144no ns.64, or 

### any blot meoh%ne,-say QlssUn hole table, any jsnny-lind toblo, or table oi'axig kind whctroever, repmllese qf t?w 1celp8 or whe- ' thsr neasd or not, he shall bs 0cnrioeG 

### la Eho psniteatiary not lest! than two nclralor than four years rejpndlos.8 of whsthw say of the a%ow~rcntioned tgn106, tablee, 3enko, -~~4414, dO-iiO'34 Or Slot 6lcOh$lr46src :iOSASCt by 1~ cr not. %nn~f3uCh table, bat&, r;hCsl, caaohLne or dsvlac oholl bs oonsidsreci ca eeb for cemh~., if atoney oi:awthingpt~WIJIthesa artlales it.14 apparent Cat it..lio

llOttWOO338~J t!ietthe @IlS Of~"~i~~Ow b4 3)i'el3if~.iA~~g. g 'nclats.an?ti

in a34 etat1itsr. I.rtiala 618, i3~1sl %itk, 

### $f **aupx,, rssila**  In 

### pert **hs** fOliO63: >** *

....Ang iwarn& table, bcnk, rrherf, or

34~144 of any mm4 or dssorlption rrheterer,



### .**.** .-of 

### any **kind shataoevar,**  re~ardleub 

### of tht .*. 4 

### nme ox wbvther newd or notl....Y $.. ahftroin Arttolo 621, Penal Codu, supra,.aomo & , ocmas al-6spcitfo~ly set forth in the etottrt0, th0 ;?.gwao oi Xtno is 

### asentloned,vs think that tbe germ o: a:., Viwc" 1s R *?lght wklifioa~lcn cr variatIa:7 o? t!bs $' ~'9..r.t&IO, t?lQt'V<@qQ3 \4fZlp.-'fZ=!Z@t3k?~dkkfi in tb3t nn3 nndwr or perrrorssoa?1pi&by; the oerds used in L eaoh aem are &Ike; the Bethod cf +inn%be; 5s L?w ~am4f C-C -:

### aumbem em selaotedby ohanoe; anfi fhe t4uwr is .qivctn ; .3naward or yiz~. :- ?-. f' The leedin nleosnti~of $1gaming tsble

or bank ares (11 It is a game* .!Z) it baa a P keeper, dealer Or exhibitor; 15, it is taeed .y , OR tha pxlno5.pol of-Qpe s@inSt the IAWJ;

(4) %!I4keOe0pw, **bebier** Or exhIbitOr wlcrztp.B4 e~clmt the 

### b9tfor8, dfmttly cr iad%r04tlg.

.....'&a eapre.ae test of a pcdrcg tsb$e or betwcik L3 tbo one rprtnet m~ny.~ Tax. JUT.;. Sol. 20, p..646,647. Citlw Stutarnee -8%.

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. . State, 31 TQ~. 892; Rlrclv3. 8tete, 148 85 738; Hayo VS. State, 82 LRi616, Chrietcpber

_. PO. ntats, 63 2% 662, aud others.*Ths o?mraoterJatio yr3noSyle or alearent cf the gmlng tablas or hanks spealfied ia tha 0068.6s fara,.aonte, eta., is tbbt they have a kerqer, dealer m erhibltor and opsratm on the baeeia of one n:faiaat t?m. many; tha dealer, **keeper** or Bxhlbitor e*a*nst v2.ebebtsra, 6Sr~otly or indireotly.
9s sows of tbtm thi& 

### prlnolple is cabvlnus. Gbe keeper betting directly qeiuet each and all the batters, and t&y cq?c.nat h&r *a in 30-0, blrgt-un, &a. xn others it 15 **abpd50a** acd tH6 better8 aaes( to be oontendlag acriipst oae. asotiier. Suah Is the ease in pool 

### and !ceuo. She keeper oharges an6 takes a ger oimtnp,e upon all the beta that are made, eild 1s tbelefore **intsraatea** in atinulatinq s&d 2rotrootin:r the b=dA&~. The sort3 18 bet, t!w mm8 he +ikee. krd if ttw name oontlnues long enough, fittili hare 011 the ffioney snil the betters hove .GOWi l3mi it la rhst the ttiue 3rinolple of tlla@me ia un7eiled .I -- OD? aanlnet the may. ***int** 80 With bil~ifllh Fl?Optlr. The players rent *be tobJa for the c;inie oaanpieb In playiw 0 cam; ,end the imepar hae no eqwl inttarest,.w>?the,r tht3y**play for**  **th0URsna8 or**  **for 4wmv3reont.**  In soon 9f Lh.5~fliiwt3 this &treat find in6jrect %3- velqmmt of the prinoip'la of eta *g*lnat the many ie oo~binea. The keeper my hero $3**fUQa of**  **i:is 9~3**  urhibltea, oalled a bank; VllcLchis usually ,oone~,'buIt; msy be snything.valueble; 801 which Is his condltIone1 tender to all the * betters, as-i% faro,&o., or bo may oulleet au6 i"IC 2 yir?.y 

### dlc;:~Jtl a8..*tljs~* *.a

### ItiN i)r:.:pp.

s tnblP **fop** (isqiixic. i)ljT;WaeS%ncru*:r; ii.CT,hiz.4clTr wlthwt Sett!:iriqxn it S-rfzulf, baitto Onablr other5 to bet, arid u:m:Ld, lnn*ea? or nbarjzio$ h peru*nt9ts u?on tba bets, dqmd upon the custoc of t.hubettoss at **‘ Ais**  thw t0 oodtp8nSatb hhl, * the 9vil maid be ao J&W. ‘oouause ?.o perhaps zmde 19~5. 20 .tlinht BVCiinot ba prossnt 311 the tim duri~ th:+plap1&*, Ln sme mob aas8 that mipht ba deviaed. 1:9ra, olthcu*, acuordiny l.0the rulrs Of hut,'; gaueo, he could not atriotly be said to b-9 the keeper or stilbitor, at113 the ~~!~unity would not Do clsled i-psuab a than@ irrtto -rnesemode of U9riviri his rgalna, anii :t WOUlAI bQ SPiis, 'in aumon Ssrigua~9’, that *he k9vt.or exh%bitad tha t.abls.n
The afl50R, Shaw vs. f%ste, 33 S 1078, EQll 7s. *tato, :'2* 667, kvarlmrt vs. tita'be, ie Z3W426 ant Lyl* v*. State, 10 SW 765, hold in effscrt that it is difflsult to Imagine 5 epeoles oi a tsble cr bank or crar~lrigilevloe reeemblin& eithsr that ia:kept <@I:em&& that,woul& not br irrclud9d in the ~lauaes o;'**the 00&e.**  .

: In view of the toregolnu authorities, yob am respuotrully'aflviaed that it 1s the 

### oplnlon

# or thUWI0- parkoent that the dam9 of *%n~o ooues within tine j$rOhlblticti of ?.haab&s quotsd statutes o_C%?&aj%tal Cods. ana that any person who operates a wRlggo' ~cu?Ln~ table or bank 13 ~subjeot to proseoutian under ?\rtiule 619 of tbe '=snal Cods. ir ::. i:.ipuiry, Truetin.q that the foregoing answsfs your inwe reaa3.n Very truly yours