IIM MATlOX ittomry General

**714**Ju~sO% **Suila 700**  **Dnllu. TX**  **7929249m 2lu742d944** 

**1001 Trrnh**  **SUN*****IQ) 140urlon.** **TX. 77002.3111**  **7132239d99**

**W5 8robdwny.** **Suit*****312 Luoeock,** **m 794015179**  **9ou747.9239**

4wa w.tmtn. sdt* s **McAlhn, Ix**  **78901.1999 91-7**  

## 200 M6lrl ?lu8.8ullr oe **kn** ***ntodo, TX**  **792052797. 91aa94191** 

An Equalooporluniw Ammalk6 AcllonEmployu 

# The Attorney General ofTexas

December 31, 1985

Ilonorablc Benjamin Curesti, Jr. Cameron**County**Attorney 9lb E. Barrieon **Street** * 

### Bromsv~lle, texaa 78520 

### opinion lo. m-412 RC: Vhetber l "camin nite' 

### rpooaored **by** l 

### school dletrlct would violate tbc 

### Penal Code prohibItlone against 

### gambling Daar Mr. 

### Eurceti: **Tov ask**  **vbat ’** **hsr a**  **‘ camho**  **ulte ”**  **epooeorad**

### by a 

### school dletrlet vould violate the Taxer Panel Code prohibitioae 

### l ~ainet

gambling. The

**“ ceelno**  nita" **d+e,::ribed**

### in your 

### letter vi11 be **pert of**  l sradrution function in vhlch aacb studant vfll be given a met 6mount of 

### play money to uee at 

### qxrlour tablae vharc cards or other games of chance are to be played. At l preset time, the gamer vill cloea and the play money vi11 be ueal 

### l itbar to bid 

### In an auction for donated prizer or to eater 

### lotteries for donated prize*. lo charge vlll be made

### to any student, aa an rdmirrlon fee 

### or othervine, **for taklag**  

### part in the “casino nite.' 

### Baeed .011these factr, you 

### l nk saver&l qucctione 

### 6bout rpecific prwlefoor of tbe feue 

### Penal Code regardins 

### gerbllog. All of your **queetione,** 

### bovevm, relate either to the elawnte 

### of or to the defanrce **to the**  

### cr:Y~minal offmne 

### of gambling. Tbaoffenee of gambling **ie** met **fortb in**  

### l

o ction

**11.02**

### of tbe 

### Paoal Cede: (a) A person comite an offense if be:

('1:)ukee a 

### bet oo the **perthl or**  final reexAt of a ga8e 

### or contact or on the parformaam of a participant in a gama or eontert; **W ulcer**  **a bet**  **on tbe**  **remit of**  **any** 

### pol*t:Lul oomiaatioo, 

### 6ppointment. or election or :m tbe **degree** 

### of l uc ceee

### of en9 **nominee,** 

### l **ppobmtaa.**or candidate;- or (3 ’) plate and beta for umey or other thin& of 

### value at 

### any game plqed w%tb

### urde, dice, --- OTb6:Lle. (Emph6eie addid).

p. 

### 1884______---_ ---, c-- __----_, --_ --.- _ ,-.. ---, ’ ,



### The tam 5et.” 

### em used in this section, 

### is daflned la rection

47.01 aa follove:

(1) ‘Bet’ **wane** an agreement **thet,** dependent 

### a8 cbenee even though 

### l ccompanlad by non6 rkill, one stands to vh or 

### lore 

### l omatblng **of**

### value. . . . [Followed by 

### l

**xctptione** not 

### applicable here]. The lagal 

### l

a anlng

of 

### %ot” involvae not 0019 the 

### ultimata vhnlng 

### of something of 

### value but the 

### initial giving 

### or agreement to give 

### something of value. See Odle v. State, 

### 139 S.Y.2d 595, 591 (Tax. Grim. App. ,19hO, 

### no vrix’rav’d on other grouud6. 578 S.Y.Zd 411, 413 n. 1 (Tu. Grim. 

### App. 19795; Cllie v. Stete, 189 S.U. 1076, 1075 (Tax. Grim. App. 

### 1916, no uric:). Pour, in Texan, three basic element6 cumprire the offenra of grmbliag: COn6id6T6tims chance. 

### and prize.
**In** 

### the “cenino nita ” fomat that you deecrlba in your request letter, no 

### charge vi11 btr made

### to any student for taking part %n

### the “ceelno uite.’ In Monte Carlo Parties, Ltd. v. Webb, 322 S.E.2d 246, 

### 248 (Ga. 1984). **thee?8** Suprme Court construed a Georgia 

### gambling statute that is similar 

### to tbe Texan ntatute and 

### concluded that 6 “Cenino Right” format lo which no guest is required to pert vlth anything **of** value **to** partic~peta in gamer l&eke the 

### conrideratioa element of tbe offenre of 

### gambling. **A**

### Texas court applied 

### l imilar reasoning 

### dth regard to a “lottery,” a nubcategory of gambling 

### Offeo6eS under section 

### 67.03(s) of tha! T6X68 

### Penal Code, 6nd 

### concluded that an offense occurred, in 

### prwt, becaura the players verc required to purch6ee bingo 

### cards in ‘order to 

### p6rtleiprte. See State v. Awets Poet 

### NumberSO, 541 S.W.:!il 481, C82 (Tax. Civ. Apr- Dblh6 1976, oo **vrit)**
. 

### Consequently , $16 believe tbat the 

### l reential element of cweideretion in the 

### offense of gambling is tinning from the “carino nite” **format** tbat you dewribe.

A 

### "ca&lno n!.te” fotwat in 

### vblcb DOparson giver 

### or **promieee** to Sire anything 

### ofyalue **in** 

### order to earticioate lmke tbe 

### l lemeet of consideration ibat is’ 

### l

eeent:~~l to **the offmea**  **of** 

### g6abliag **under** 

### eectiw 47.02 of tba 

### Taxer Penal Code.

**Attorney**General 

### of Texas

p. 

### 1gM _-JACK 

### IICBTWER liret Aeeietent Attorney C~!r~eral 

### ItAmrntn Executive Aeeietent Attornq General ROBERT

GRAY 

### Special Aeeietant Attorney General RICK GILPIN **Cluiman, Opinion**  Camnittar Prepared by 

### Jennifer Riggs Aeeietant Attorney 

### General

p. 1666