OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
/
/”
Syie 14, 1999
I
,’
Ban. Temseay
County Attorney
Petter c4mlty
&arKllo, Texas
Hon. Ttiwf3aay.June 14, 1QSQ. Ps8a 8
lottsm,he shallbefiinednotl~a tbantuu
nor aom than riity dollar&*
we quote rraa mxas Jurlaprudenoe,Vol. ae, page
4oQ as ~follow%:
-The tam 'lottemy h&s r&otso~l
slgeifleation fn the law, and ~afnoeour
statute does not proride a dstinftion,
its IIIMU~ lrust ba d8terraimad fl‘08popdtu
~~~ Aocordlng to that teat, a lotfem
is ~a sohems for the distributionof prfzus
by lot or~ohrume among those who bave'pald
or agreed to pay a ooneideratlon ror the
right to psrtioipatetherein, or the dis-
tribution itseW.a
The oourt in'the ease OS Teath%r@olled
va+ IndC
pandent SerTioe 8tatlozlAsao%iation.10 SW 2nd 121 de-
fined a lottery as follaws:
The Fsd%ral Cirouit Court oi Appeals inths
OBBcb ot
Peek vs. UnIted qatba. 61 F. 2nd 973, has &rS&
a lottery the following definition%
*A SMJ~WIIO
far th0 ai%tribt&tOlon Of
prizcbeor thinga or value br lot or ahems,
moagpersonswhehaospaldoragMnrdte ,,
pay a ztaluablaOon6iaerati0n tOrthe #alulge
to obtain a rim. A sohrrsaby whiuh a W
cult Is mo fied by scme aation ar mans
taken, in whteh resnlts man*8 aboioo or will
hae PO part, nor een hmmn ms~z+..r.rr~
aagaoity or deeign enable hN to kna Or
Hon. Tom Seay',Suae 14, lQS9, Page 5
deterwiae....uatilthe %am ha6 bsea so-
ooraplished,"
The following hare bsea held to be lottsriesr
Fuaoh boardat slot or rendiag nmehhiae;
the sale.of boxes of oaady, whioh aoataia
prizes; emit OlUb6, that is, qlubs formd
by tallors'forthe distr&butIoon of olathes
by ahaaas; and various grimesin meohaaioal
nature.
In the ease, City of Wink vs. Grimth Amuse-
ment Company, 100 SW Zad 685, it was +bld that the aeo-
essary elements of a lottery area
*Offeringor a prize, award or prize
by ohpaoe, and giving 69 aonsldemtion
far opportuaityto uin~i)cize.*
In the aase of'GriffIthJ=s==tc=paayg
WI, xorgan, 98 8W &d 844, It was ,h&.ld
that the alemeats
essential to ooastitttea lottory are e prize ia maasy
or thIq of talus, dIslqibutIoaby ohease and payaw&
eithsr dixeotly or indirsetly,of a valuabls ooasideratIoa
for the ohawe to win the prize.
In the oases ot State ~a. Rnadls 41 Tsx. Eob
and Eohma~~ ~8, State 47 8W 850 it was heid that any
aci~a for&? dl%trlinatioa
of prisms by ehawe Is a
lottery.
fn View Or the tO~.&.S~ authorities,pOu srs
I%i3pMtlVeljadViSt3d that it 18 th8 OpmOn Or this dC
partmeat that the operationof the above described is&em
18 a riolatfoa 0r the lottery lmva or this state.
Trusting that the roregoin(l aaawe~~ your inquiry,
we remain
Varytrulyyotxre
ATl'Ow(w GEHERAL OF ‘L’BXM
ma
drdtsll wsllI.ana
AWrAW &sl8t%%at