Court Opinion

ID: 9550490
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 18:35:53.122558+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:21:38.226736
License: Public Domain

CROCKETT, Chief Justice
(joining in the dissent with added comments).
I concur with the dissent of Justice Mau-ghan and the authorities therein cited. But because of my strong conviction that the main opinion is mistaken both as to legal principle and as to policy, I make some additional comments.
In regard to whether there is a consideration passing from its customers to the plaintiff: it is stated that there is none because the customer is free to choose whether he will go to plaintiff’s store, and he pays nothing for the bingo card. I think any fair and realistic analysis of the situation will reveal that there is in fact a detriment to the customer, suffered at the request of the plaintiff, which passes as a benefit to the latter.
It would be fatuous beyond belief for anyone to argue that the plaintiff spends its many thousands of dollars on such a promotion without receiving anything of value therefrom. If the plaintiff does thus receive value in increasing its patronage, and it is absolutely certain that it does, the question arises: whence is derived this substantial material wealth it acquires. If it comes from nothing, the supply would seem to be quite inexhaustible. But in this practical world, the inexorable rule is that it is impossible to make something from nothing. It is equally inexorable that the thing of substantial value which comes to the plaintiff can come from only one source. That is, from the individual customers the game attracts to its store. This has to be true no matter how small the contribution of each individual customer may be.
Suppose two stores, A and B are side by side, and that all other factors which would draw customers are exactly equal. They should normally draw about an equal number of customers. But if store A provided the Double Cash Bingo by which its customers have a chance for a prize, it would draw more customers than store B. Now suppose that the stores are one mile apart. It would take some proportionally greater reward to induce customers nearer store B to go to store A; and as the distance between the stores increased, the inducement offered would have to be proportionally increased. By supposing increasing distances, it should be plain that there must be some real inducement for a customer to go to store A, rather than to store B. The logic is inescapable that in offering its Double Cash Bingo, store A must be giving something of sufficient value to persuade customers to go to its store, rather than to store B; and that each customer gives some benefit of at least equal value to plaintiff, otherwise we may be sure that plaintiff would not operate the game. Further, each customer who is thus induced to enter store A does something he would not otherwise do. Therefore, he thus suffers a detriment to that extent and so contributes his portion, however small that may be, to the total value received by the plaintiff in this Double Cash Bingo plan. It is thus inescapable that there is a consideration on both sides of the equation.
The argument that playing bingo to receive a reward based on chance is not a violation of the prohibitions of the constitution and the law, because it involved but minimal contribution and minor inconvenience to the customers, is simply the old but fallacious argument that a little violation of the law does no great harm and should be tolerated. It seems to me that the mere statement of the proposition destroys the argument. The real evil is that if a little violation of the law is thus countenanced, where and by whom is the line to be drawn between a little and a lot; and where will be the limitation on such schemes.
It is not surprising that due to certain propensities of human nature, the customer may want to get something for nothing, based on chance. But looked at realistically, this is no different in principle than putting a nickel in a slot machine with the same expectation; and this bingo plan can be nothing other than an attempt to delude *994the customers into believing they are getting something for nothing, based on chance.
A great deal more could be said about what I think are the evils of permitting businesses to depart from traditional values of business competition, based on quality of merchandise and service, and to substitute therefor the specious but hollow allurements of gambling and lotteries. It not only ignores the interdiction of our constitution, but it opens the way for the giants in merchandising, (which seem to be ever increasing in size) to engage in games with each other in attempting to delude the public into thinking they are getting something for nothing. Whereas, it is undeniable that, to the extent money is spent on bingo or other such illusory schemes, the public is actually deprived of that value in merchandise and services. In addition to those direct adverse effects upon the public, the majority decision provides a means for the giant chains to use these deceptive games of chance in unfair competition with the many small and independent operators, and thus drive them out of business, with the concomitant ramifying evils that result therefrom.
In summary, it is my judgment that the trial court correctly analyzed plaintiff’s scheme for what it is, and adjudicated it to be in violation of the provisions of our constitution and our laws. Accordingly, I would uphold the judgment.
STEWART, J., having disqualified himself does not participate herein.
DURHAM, District Judge, sat.