Ventura Municipal Code § 10.350.050 Gambling ship

6 Cross reference(s): Amusements, Chapter 6.50; bingo, Chapter 10.400.

Except as otherwise provided in this code, it is hereby declared unlawful for any person to keep, conduct, or maintain within the city, knowingly to permit any house, room, apartment or place, owned by them or under their charge or control, in said city, or place where any game not mentioned in Sections 330, 330a and 337a of the Penal Code of the state of California is played, conducted, dealt or carried on with cards, dice or other device, for money, checks, chips, credit or any other representative of value. (Code 1971, § 6121; Ord. No. 98-11, §§ 1, 3, 7-27-98)

A. Declared Unlawful. Except as otherwise provided by this code, it is hereby declared unlawful for any person to play or bet at or against any game not mentioned in Sections 330, 330a, and 337a of the Penal Code of the state of California, which is played, conducted, dealt or carried on with cards, dice or other device, for money, checks, chips, credit or any other representative of value, at any place within corporate limits of the city, except as hereinafter particularly provided.

B. Games and Devices of Chance. Except as otherwise provided by this code, it shall be unlawful in the city for any person, either as owner, lessee, manager, employee, agent or servant, to conduct, manage, carry on, maintain, operate, open, deal or deal in, or to cause or permit to be conducted, managed, carried on, maintained, operated, opened, dealt or dealt in, any game, operation or transaction wherein any prize, gift, rebate, compensation, reward, award, payment or gratuity, consisting of any money, check, token, credit, goods, wares, merchandise, property or thing of value, is or is to be given, awarded or delivered, either directly or indirectly, and wherein chance is a determining factor, or is any determining factor of the result of such game, operation or transaction, which game, operation or transaction is conducted, carried on, maintained, operated or played by the throwing, tossing, dropping, depositing or placing of any ball, marker, object, thing or substance into any perforation, hole or indentation in or upon any surface, receptacle, container, object, or thing having marked, designated or identified thereon by or with, any figure, number, character, symbol, letter design or mark of any kind, or by the selecting, designating, turning, indicating, choosing or projecting of any such figure, number, character, symbol, letter, design or mark by means of any device, apparatus, or equipment, or by any means or in any manner, or by the drawing, selecting, choosing or removing from any receptacle or container of any ball, disk, object, substance or material marked, designated or identified by or with any figure, number, character, symbol, letter, design, or mark, any such figure, number, character, symbol, letter, design or mark hereinabove referred to, corresponding to, duplicating, referring to or relating to, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, any figure, number, character, symbol, letter, design or mark upon any card, paper, board, fabric, surface, object, substance or thing, held, operated or maintained by any player or participant therein or by any person, where by any predetermined or prearranged, or by any rule, method, scheme, design, or procedure any person is found, declared or determined to be, or is, or is to be, the winner, donee, recipient or taker of such prize, gift, rebate, compensation, reward, award, payment or gratuity, in the event that any such player or participant pays, deposits, expends, gives or pledges, either directly or indirectly, or agrees, promises or intends to pay, deposit, expend, give or pledge, either directly or indirectly, any money, check, credit, property or thing of value, or makes or agrees to make any purchase for the privilege of playing or participating therein or of gaining admission to the place or premises where such game, operation or transaction is, or is to be played, conducted, carried on, maintained or operated, or to any other place or premises.

Provided, however, that no provision of this section shall be deemed or construed as prohibiting any act made unlawful by the provisions of Section 319, 330, or 330a of the Penal Code, or of any other code section or general law of the state of California, it being the intent of the council to prohibit by this section all games, operations or transactions herein described, not prohibited by the provisions of any general law of this state, including all games, operations or transactions for profit commonly known as Keno, Tango, Movie Tango, Bingo, Beano, Skill Ball, Fortune, Quintain, Fascination or Inspiration, and all games, operations or transactions similar thereto under whatever name they may be designated. (Code 1971, § 6122; Ord. No. 98-11, §§ 1, 4, 7-27-98)

The following exceptions are made to the provisions of this chapter:

A. Contest Prizes. The giving of prizes and purses for contests or exhibits by an association or licensed business house is excepted from the provisions of this chapter.

B. Loser of Pool Game. The loser of a game of billiards or pool may pay, and the person owning or controlling such tables may collect from the loser, the cost of the usual rent of such tables.

C. Minors Not Excepted. Persons under 18 years of age shall not come under any of the exceptions above enumerated.

D. Private Homes. The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to the carrying on of any game in private homes for purely social purposes nor for the purpose of this chapter shall a prize or prizes of usual and ordinary value given to one or more players at any game played at a public social gathering be deemed to be a thing of value. (Code 1971, § 6123)

What is commonly known as “side betting” of any description for anything whatsoever is prohibited. (Code 1971, § 6124)

A. Definition. The term “gambling ship,” as used in this section, shall be deemed to mean, and shall include, any boat, ship, vessel, watercraft or barge upon which there is played, carried on or conducted for money, checks, credit or other representative of value, any game played, carried on or conducted with cards, dice, balls, pins, checkers, quoits, spindles, tables, wheels, machines, or other device, contrivance or apparatus, or with any combination of any thereof.

B. Visiting Gambling Ship. It is hereby declared to be unlawful for any person to solicit, entice, induce, persuade or procure, or to aid in soliciting, enticing, inducing, persuading or procuring, any person to visit any gambling ship, whether such gambling ship be within or without the jurisdiction of the state of California.

C. Visiting Conveyance to Gambling Ship. It is hereby declared to be unlawful for any person to solicit, entice, induce, persuade or procure, or to aid in soliciting, enticing, inducing, persuading or procuring, any person to visit any boat, ship, vessel, craft, barge, hulk, float, or other thing capable of floating, whether such boat, ship, vessel, craft, barge, hulk, float or other thing capable of floating be within or without the jurisdiction of the state of California, from which such boat, ship, vessel, craft, barge, hulk, float or other thing capable of floating any person is transported, conveyed or carried to any gambling ship, whether such gambling ship be within or without the jurisdiction of the state of California.

D. Transporting to Gambling Ship. It is hereby declared to be unlawful for any person, firm, association or corporation to transport, convey or carry, or to aid in transporting, conveying or carrying, any person from within the boundaries of the city to any gambling ship, whether such gambling ship be within or without the jurisdiction of the state of California.

E. Transporting to Conveyance to Gambling Ship. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, association or corporation to transport, convey or carry, or to aid in transporting, conveying or carrying, any person from within the boundaries of the city to any boat, ship, vessel, craft, barge, hulk, float, or any other thing capable of floating, whether such boat, ship, vessel, craft, barge, hulk, float or other thing capable of floating be within or without the jurisdiction of the state of California, from which such boat, ship, vessel, craft, barge, hulk, float or other thing capable of floating, any person is transported, conveyed or carried to any gambling ship, whether such gambling ship be within or without the jurisdiction of the state of California. (Code 1971, § 6125)