Gaming Houses.
The Times, 1824-08-17T00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMIES. Sl",_. Will now give some Idea of what could be reckoned upan, and must have been made, by the points of the game at all thc principal " Hells" for the last 10 years. Three years back ticrce were no fewer than 22 of then: some were occasionally closed, but 15 were in full operation at thic same time, such profitable concerns they were sure to prove to their keepers. At some, play was continued with little interruption from one at noon to 12 o'clock at night, and at others all lhoursthroughout theniglit. Theyarenowre- duced to about a tleesn in number. The games played at one or otherof tlem arcrouqe etnoir, rOu1dtte, an.dcuxycinque, and French h'szard, at all of which a bank is pat downi agreeably to the imans of the parties to i played against, the limitation of stakes varying according to its exient. Thus sonte play Is. to 51., others 2s. fid.to 101., and 5s. to 201., 501., and 1001., the bankamounting ge- nerally to 20 times the highest limits, The banks have certain points in their favour, upon each of which the staIss of the players in effect lose half: thas each player loses a whole stake on two of those points. Let the stake be Is. 5s. up. to 1001., it is all the same. At -otigc et noir (played with cards), these points come up u on an average 2 in fi8 events, dealt in one lhour, L i per cdii t. per stake, or 100 per cent. per stake per hour. against thie player. At roulette (plkyed with a srnlaU ivory ball in a cylinder), 2 in 38 events turned in half an houir, 3 per cent. per stake, or 100 per cent. per stake per half hour against the player. At un-deusx-cisnqre (played with a large ivory ball withi 48 spots, 24 black, 16 red, and 8 blue), 6 in 48 events toiled In one hour, 6 per cent. per stake, or 100 per cent. per stake per hotr against the player. At French hazard (played with 2 dice and box), 4 in 36 events thrown in one hour, 5 per cent. per stake, or 100 per cent. per stake per hour against the player. The money risked at tlese " Hells" up to 3 years ago, was much greater than it is now. However, take an average of time :and stakes, and we xhall not be far offa rightjadgmcnt upon the subject. Suppose the hoursof efr'ective play at allthe" Hells" tohave been 5Aours per daiy all the yearround (Sundays excepted), frem tthe year 1814 to 1824, 10 ears,nnd thutthe whole of the stakesaupon each event ateach "Hell" in the aggregate amnounted to nomore rhan3001.; thenl3011.perhour, 1,5001. perday, 9,0001. a week, 36,0001.permonth, 468,0001. per year were v-orked into the different banks by such certain poinits alone. flalf of this may be aid to be conmposed of money won a-head of the bank, which thuts falling From day to day back again into it, is merely nominal ; but the other half is hardl tsoisey from the pockets of losing players by the risk of which they have 'O chance of wivt. ning a penny. The half is 234,0001. per year, which in the 10 years amOunts t'tlse vlast sum of 2,340,000k. This is exclusive of wlhat hias beeis get by cheating, and upon the equal chances, wbich cannot be remotely guessed at, but it must have been very considerBble, as the large masses of plunder gathered by one or ether of tihe keepers, are over and above their extrava- gant expentliture for 10 years, which came out of it. There are on an average to eachl " Hell," three proprietors, four "croupiers," andfour waiters and norters-in all 11 persons; 15 Hello, 11 to eaci, make 111.5 " Hellites." The Ikeepers olnly sliare the overplus of plunder af cr defraving wages and their heavy expenses, and tltvy being three to each, in aU 45, who sack in the ratio of the extent of their banks. The fortmtaes, therefore, which liave been collectcd by some of tbem by this horrid system of robbery arc immsense. Mlany of these have been accumulated from banks originally not amounting to more than 5001. each, and nmany from even mucb lesS. Thc heart really sickens at the recital, and at the sad reflection that these vast sums are composed of the patrimonies, in part or all, large or sinall, oftliousands and.thousands, all of whomn have been niore orless injured, and most entirely ruined and utsdone. This is truly a melancholy part of the subject,diat mein of rank property,and clia- racter, can be so weak as to go up to such fatal piaces to risk money against that belotnging to such persons, and not to see that their own losses, as well as the losses of others, actually furnish the nicans ttat constantly effect the destructious of themselves and othens. Noblemen, Members of Parliament, officers in the army and Isavy, gentlemen, merchants, doctors, lawyers, tradesmen, clerks. atid others, have all felt the griping influence of this horrid system. Souse of the players are constantly disappearing: some have been executed; many have co-ninitted suicide,-many have become subject to the lighter punishments of the law ; otliers have fled the land to avoidt them ; many are starving il the Dbtn 'reo'nsanni diebtokr, ait of whose mjisfortunes ;anmiser;es have their origin in their visits to these infamous dens. If any one can doubt these various facts, let hiim make a few inquiries of the mnul- titude of broken players, and visit the several prisons ; when all scepticismi must vatish. It might be supposed that these i' lHellites" would have sonse little respect, some little feeling and heart for the distresses and miserieg they are made by, and flourishi over, but nosuch thing-they scoff at and insult them. They look down froni their drawing.room windows, and from their carriages, on their sictims as they pass in the streets with contempt andI indifference, antI afford them no relief. Titey won't deign to even notice those to whoni, while losing thiousands te thetn, they bowed and cringed with the meanest servility, helping them to seats at their gaming tables (to their dinnertables they now stand most in need) and to intoxicating wines and refreshtnents. No, they have alreaysaclced all their money; they can get no more from themn; they are in dire want, so they want no longer to know theni. When the unhappy and abject condition of one who has lost thousands in his time happens to be mentioned in the presenceof those newly initiated, from whom it is expected a rioh harvest will be reaped, it is observed- " Oh, he never had any money to lose, whatever he had was won of the banlks t but when a man is distressed wlto weknow has really lost money, we never refuse him.4' Those who have been reduced to beggary will tell a different tale. They may draw their parse-ctrings for a pound or two, two or three times: but when a fourth or a fifth application is made, 'tis met by cvery species of insult-" I will not give you another penny to save you from starving,"-" I will not give you another penny to save vou from the gallows," are the replies. When it is considered thJat many of their victitms are starving, and tiat many have met with that and other violent deaths, and that they may have sacked the proceeds of the actrs which caused their untimely or igniominous ends, the heart quite shudders at the brutal allusions. But what can be expected of them; for the inost part they spring from the dregs of society, and are as deticient in manners as they are in the common feelings and principles of humanity. It is truly lament. able that there are to be found those wvho still pursue thie same course whicl has proved so fatal to many thousands before them, many of whom are constantly crossing their path, when their own daily losses ought to convincethem that the same must be their fate if they continue the pursuit.Themoney pocketed with thegreatest impu- nity is that from noblemenandgentlemenoflargefortunes,who, from their rankand connexions inlife, fancy they would(lisgrace themselves were they to commenice actions of recovery or prosecutions against tlsem. A few prosecutions certainly are brought, but they are com- promioed as quickly as they are brought, the greatest offenders cvad- mnghy trick the laws altogether. It is urged, that it would be impossible to suppress gambling, it is too inherent in the human heart; but if it is wholly impossible to eradicate the propemmsity, at least destroy the temptations that en- courage it, wlien for vwant of opportunity to gratify, it must subside to a very great degree. I am, Sir, vour hunmble servant. EXPOSITOR J0onuon, July %O. GAMING HOUSES.