OFFiCE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

lion. vi. 3. Earcon 

couniy .5ttorno~ 

&irCS CO~URty 

hnderson, TSXRP 

Dar sir: 

February 2?., 1939 

. 

. 

. . 

i 

. . 

. . . 

Opinion no. 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. 

\ 

. . 

. ;.- 

, *. , \ 

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

. : 

Tje d'ssor1pii~n'*0r tbs iguas of 

sa follOwi:‘= 

alp.0 1s 

*tThb.~ks~cper ofA.h =--. I;, game provides oarda 

oki-i@loh sip+ nu$iberp in ~0~6. Thsrs srs 

flve'nwbera'in ciGoh.&w borlrsbtallr an3 

verti&my. hiis number Of player6 oan $ay 

rupcith4*~6ymeat ot a starpa 0: 10 onnts a 

.g6Rce.. .Ths'~Jrssper sslsote st rsndom 4 player 

who -itches 

nrmbih;r IA+ b % 11 stop6 on;th& numbsz ?s 

bal? late a.box aad whntever 

~0alLcd i3y tlie ti.ssper snd 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:,c kesper. 'i'he methti of nuuibsr selectlon.azI oallin&+, 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 ii tl0lce.t or 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; 

ir R Vlfty ?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:bs pl6yer cbtaS3s by tcnileriaa his tiokirt to tho 

eSsliMtor or kccpcr of the gmn. .?Bsts, 

o~unilt~ro or tables annB bulUlog aro furniahe6 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~x r~dt~$ table, bent, wh68i Or dsrtoo SOY? 

the gurpose of'~~~lng tiloh 1144 no 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 nclr alor 

than four years rejpndlos.8 of whsthw say 

of the a%ow~ rcntioned tgn106, tablee, 3enko, 

-~~4414, dO-iiO'34 Or Slot 6lcOh$lr46 src :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 
~WIJI thesa artlales it. 14 apparent Cat it..lio 

llOt tWOO338~J t!iet the @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-6 spcitfo~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?lQ t'V< @qQ3 \4fZlp. -'fZ=!Z@t3k?~ dkkfi in 

tb3t nn3 nndwr or perrrorss oa?1 pi&by; the oerds used in 

L eaoh aem are &Ike; the Bethod cf +inn%be; 5s L?w ~am4f C-C 

-: aumbem em selaoted by ohanoe; anfi fhe t4uwr is .qivctn 

; .3n award or yiz~. :- 

?-. 

f' The leedin nleosnti~of $1 gaming tsble 

or bank ares (11 It is a game* .!Z) it baa a P 

.y , keeper, dealer Or exhibitor; 15, it is taeed 

OR tha pxlno5.pol of-Qpe s@inSt the IAWJ; 

(4) %!I4 keOe0pw, 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%. 

. :_ 

. . State, 31 TQ~. 892; Rlrcl v3. 8tete, 148 85 

738; Hayo VS. State, 82 LRi 616, 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.e bebtsra, 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, fit tili 

hare 011 the ffioney snil the betters hove .GOWi 

l3mi it la rhst the ttiue 3rinolple of tlla @me 

.I ia un7eiled -- 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; VllcLch is 

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 %ncr u*:r; 

ii. CT, hiz.4clTr wlthwt Sett!:iri qxn it S-rfzulf, bait to 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.hu bettoss at ‘Ais thw t0 oodtp8nSatb hhl, * 

the 9vil maid be ao J&W. ‘oouause ?.o perhaps zmde 19~5. 20 .tlinht BVCii not ba prossnt 311 the tim duri~ th:+ plap1&*, Ln 

sme mob aas8 that mipht ba deviaed. 1:9ra, 

olthcu*, acuordiny l.0 the 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-p suab a than@ irr tto 

-rnese mode 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 Z3W 426 

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~lrig ilevloe 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 ?.ha ab&s quotsd statutes o_C %?&a j%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