Gaming Act 1744
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Citation | 1744 c. 34 |
| Year | 1744 |
(18 Geo. 2) C A P. XXXIV.
'WHEREAS notwithstanding the many good and wholesome Laws now in Being, for preventing excessive and deceitful Gaming, many Persons of ill Fame and Reputation, who have no visible Means of Subsistence, do keep Houses, Rooms, and other Places, for playing, and do permit Persons therein to play at Cards, Dice, and other Devices, for large Sums of Money, by Means whereof divers young and unwary Persons, and others, are drawn in to lose the greatest Part, and sometimes all their Substance; and it frequently happens they are thereby reduced to the utmost Necessities, and betake themselves to the most wicked Courses, which end in their utter Ruin: And whereas a certain pernicious Game called Roulet, or Roly-poly, is daily practised, and the Laws now in Being have, by Experience, been found ineffectual to put a Stop to such pernicious Practices;' For Remedy whereof, May it please your Majesty that it may be enacted; And be it enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same, Thatfrom and after the twenty-fourth Day ofJune one thousand seven hundred and forty-five, no Person or Persons, of what Condition soever, shall keep any House, Room, or Place for playing, or permit or suffer any Person or Persons whatsoever, within any such House, Room, or Place, to play at the said Game of Roulet, otherwise Roly-poly, or at any other Game, with Cards or Dice, already prohibited by the Laws of this Realm; and in case any Person or Persons whatsoever shall keep any such House, Room, or Place for playing, or permit or suffer any Person or Persons as aforesaid to play at the said Game of Roulet, otherwise Roly-poly, or at any other Game, with Cards or Dice, already prohibited by Law, such Person or Personsso offending shall incur the Pains and Penalties, and be liable to such Prosecution as is directed in and by an Act made in the twelfth Year of the Reign of his present Majesty, intituled,An Act for the more effectual preventing excessive and deceitful Gaming .
II Persons playing shall incur the Penalties of 12 Geo. 2. c. 28.
II. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That if any Person or Persons whatsoever shall, after the said twenty-fourth Day ofJune one thousand seven hundred and forty-five, play at the said Game of Roulet, otherwise Roly-poly, or at any Game or Games with Cards or Dice, already prohibited by Law, every such Person or Persons so offending shall also incur the Pains and Penalties, and be liable to such Prosecution, as is directed in and by an Act made in the twelfth Year of the Reign of his present Majesty, intituled, An Act for the more effectual preventing excessive and deceitful Gaming .
III Ann. c. 14.
'III. And whereas in and by a certain Statute, made in the ninth Year of the Reign of her late Majesty Queen Anne , intituled,An Act for the better preventing excessive and deceitful Gaming , it is (amongst other Things) enacted, That from and after the first Day of May one thousand seven hundred and eleven, any Person or Persons whatsoever, who should at any Time or Sitting, by playing at Cards, Dice, Tables, or other Game or Games whatsoever, or by betting on the Sides or Hands of such who do play at any of the Games aforesaid, lose to any one or more Person or Persons so playing or betting, in the Whole, the Sum of ten Pounds, and should pay and deliver the same, or any Part thereof, the Person or Persons so losing, or paying or delivering the same, should be at Liberty within three Months then next, to sue for, and recover the Money or...
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