State v. Countdown, Inc.

305 So. 2d 634, 1974 La. App. LEXIS 3463
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 10, 1974
DocketNo. 6542
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 305 So. 2d 634 (State v. Countdown, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Countdown, Inc., 305 So. 2d 634, 1974 La. App. LEXIS 3463 (La. Ct. App. 1974).

Opinion

MORIAL, Judge.

Countdown, Inc., was incorporated under the laws of Louisiana for the object and purpose of providing “an agency to act and serve as agent for any person * * * to carry, transport, and convey United States currency * * * to and from any and all premises or inclosures lawfully established by any commission * * * conducting therein or thereon the business of racing horses * * * in competition for money; and * * * make or place bets or wage[r]s upon or in the aforesaid premises or inclosures, as directed by or in the name of any such principals or clients, in the manner prescribed by law and in accordance with the rules, regulations and customs promulgated and set forth by any such aforesaid commission, * *

In conformity with its objects and purposes Countdown enacted terms, conditions, rules, and regulations of its agency. These were printed on the reverse of the receipt issued each customer and read as follows:

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“Countdown, Inc., provides agents to place bets or wagers through the parimutuel wagering system on the result of horse races conducted on the grounds of any enclosed race track which is licensed by the Louisiana State Racing Commission to conduct a race meeting or meetings.
“Any money paid to Countdown, Inc., does not constitute a bet or wager but only as a grant of authority to Countdown, Inc., its agents, employees, or servants to place such money in the parimutuel pool of any enclosed race track which is licensed by the Louisiana State Racing Commission to conduct a race meeting or meetings.
“Countdown, Inc., in consideration for providing the messenger service stated above, charges a fee of ten percent (10%) of the amount to be placed in the parimutuel pool of an enclosed race [636]*636track which is licensed by the Louisiana State Racing Commission to conduct a race meeting or meetings.
“(1) The ten percent (10%) messenger service fee shall be collected irrespective of the official result of any horse race or races on which a patron wagers or bets.
“(2) Should any such patron win, agents of Countdown, Inc., shall cash in such winning ticket at a cashier’s window on the grounds of any such authorized race track and any such patron shall be paid the full sum of any such winnings in exchange for his receipt; except where Social Security Number is required to cash in such winning ticket, in which event agents of Countdown, Inc., shall deliver such winning ticket to patron in exchange for his receipt.
“(3) Should any such patron lose, agents of Countdown, Inc., shall, on demand of any such patron, deliver any and all losing tickets to such patron in exchange for his receipt.
RULES AND REGULATIONS
“(1) SCRATCHES.
(A) Any horse which is scratched or declared from any race which is conducted on the grounds of an authorized race track after twelve o’clock (12:00) noon on the day when such horse race or races is scheduled to run shall be deemed a ‘late scratch.’ With respect to a ‘late scratch,’ the messenger service fee of ten percent (10%) of the amount to be placed in the parimutuel pool of any such authorized race track shall be non-refundable; the amount of the wager or bet shall, however, be refunded to any such patron in exchange for his receipt.
(B) Scratch or declaration of a part of an entry, if scratched or declared after twelve o’clock (12:00) noon on the day when such horse race or races is scheduled to run, shall not revoke the agency of any duly authorized agent, employee, servant, or representative of Countdown, Inc., to place the full amount of the wager or bet on the remaining part of any such entry in the parimutuel pool of an authorized race track.
“(2) JOCKEY CHANGES.
No change or transfer of jockey or jockies, if such change or transfer is made after twelve o’clock (12:00) noon on the day when any such horse race or races is scheduled to run, shall revoke the agency of any duly authorized agent, em-loyee, servant, or representative of Countdown, Inc., to place the full amount of the wager or bet on the horse selected by the patron.
“(3) EQUIPMENT CHANGES.
No change of equipment (e. g., adding blinkers to equipment or discontinuing the use of them, etc.), if such change is made after twelve o’clock (12:00) noon on the day when any such horse race or races is scheduled to run, shall revoke the agency of any duly authorized agent, employee, servant, or representative of Countdown, Inc., to place the full amount of the wager or bet on the horse selected by the patron.
“(4) WEATHER CHANGES.
No change of weather or change of the condition of the track (e. g., fast, sloppy, good, slow, muddy) shall revoke the agency of any duly authorized agent, employee, servant, or representative of Countdown, Inc., to place the full amount [637]*637of the wager or bet on the horse selected by the patron.
“(5) TIME WITHIN WHICH TO COLLECT WINNINGS AND/OR LOSING TICKETS.
Any patron shall have fourteen days within which to exchange his receipt for either the full amount of his winnings or the losing tickets on the horse or horses which he selected or to claim his refund as provided for in Rule (1)(A) and Rule (6).
“(6) DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY.
For causes over which Countdown, Inc., its agents, employees, servants, or representatives may have no control (e. g., traffic jams, armed robberies, etc.), Countdown, Inc., its agents, employees, servants, or representatives cannot and do not guarantee that the amount to be placed through the parimutuel pool of an authorized race track on the results of horse races conducted on the grounds of any such authorized race track will be placed in the parimutuel pool and in such event the patron shall be entitled to a refund of the total amount of his wager as well as the ten percent (10%) messenger service fee within the time period set out in Rule (5).”

Countdown accepted monies on the terms, conditions, rules and regulations hereinabove set forth and issued its receipt therefor. The monies were transported to the Fair Grounds, a race track licensed by the Louisiana State Racing Commission, where bets were placed in the parimutuel pool in accordance with the instructions of Countdown’s customers as indicated on the face of the receipt. Though undercover employees of the New Orleans Police Department investigated and engaged Countdown’s services, no agent or employee of Countdown has been arrested and charged with a violation of any state statute nor ordinance of the City of New Orleans. By letter dated December 27, 1973 the District Attorney for the Parish of Jefferson advised counsel for Countdown, Inc., that, at that time, Countdown’s operations were not in violation of LSA-R.S. 14:90 nor was there a parish ordinance declaring such activities illegal. The then District Attorney for the Parish of Orleans expressed the same view relating to LSA-R.S. 14:90 in a letter of January 29, 1974.

The state filed this suit to annul, vacate and forfeit Countdown’s charter and to enjoin it from conducting its business activities.

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Related

State v. Countdown, Inc.
309 So. 2d 675 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1975)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
305 So. 2d 634, 1974 La. App. LEXIS 3463, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-countdown-inc-lactapp-1974.