United States v. 11 Star-Pack Cigarette Merchandiser Machines

248 F. Supp. 933, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10333
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedJanuary 3, 1966
DocketNo. 34 of 1963
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 248 F. Supp. 933 (United States v. 11 Star-Pack Cigarette Merchandiser Machines) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. 11 Star-Pack Cigarette Merchandiser Machines, 248 F. Supp. 933, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10333 (E.D. Pa. 1966).

Opinion

LUONGO, District Judge.

The United States has proceeded by a libel of seizure and forfeiture under 15 U.S.C. § 1171 et seq., against eleven Star-Pack Cigarette Merchandiser Machines, alleged to be gambling devices as therein defined. By stipulation (document No. 5) the libel was amended to include one hundred and one additional such machines. At the hearing, two of the defendant machines were produced and it was stipulated that those two machines are substantially identical to all of the defendant devices and that the court’s decision as to one would be applicable to all of the defendant devices.

Upon pleadings and proof, including written stipulations (document No. 6) entered into prior to the hearing and oral stipulations entered into at the hearing, I find the following

PACTS

1. The United States of America has instituted a libel action, alleging Star-Pack Cigarette Merchandiser Machines are gambling devices as defined in Title 15, Section 1171 of the United States Code.

2. A Star-Pack unit is a metal cabinet, 2' x 1' x 1', which has been designed by claimant with the intent to stimulate sales of its cigarette vending machines, but which can be adapted to fit on top of any vending machine.

3. On the front of each Star-Pack unit, there is a painted glass plate with painted color pictures of eight packs of cigarettes, Viceroy, Winston, Parliament, L. & M., Philip Morris, Pall Mall, Old Gold, Marlboro, and also, a picture of a simulated pack of cigarettes called “Star-Pack.”

4. The defendant Star-Pack Cigarette Merchandiser Machines were manufactured and designed to operate so that when coins are inserted into a cigarette machine to which the defendant device is attached, the cigarette machine will dispense a package of cigarettes, then the lights in the defendant device will flash in irregular sequence. If the light remains lit under the Star-Pack picture, the cigarette machine will dispense a free package of cigarettes. Whether or not the light will remain lit under the Star-Pack picture and cause the cigarette machine to dispense a free package of cigarettes is determined by the internal mechanism of the defendant device by a process of random selection. Adjustments may be made on the defendant device to vary both the number of free packages of cigarettes to be delivered as well as the frequency of the occasions on which free packages of cigarettes will be delivered.

5. The defendant Star-Pack Merchandiser Machines were manufactured at the specific direction of David Rosen, Inc. by Midway Manufacturing Corporation, 10136 Pacific Avenue, Franklin Park, Illinois.

6. All of the defendant Star-Pack Cigarette Merchandiser Machines were transported in interstate commerce from Franklin Park, Illinois to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during the month of June, 1963, and were received at Philadelphia by David Rosen, Inc.

7. All of the defendant Star-Pack Cigarette Merchandiser Machines were seized by or were surrendered to the custody of the United States Marshal for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on October 17, 31 and November 4, 1963, pursuant to a seizure warrant duly issued by United States Commissioner Edward W. Furia on October 16, 1963.

8. At all times pertinent to this proceeding the claimant, David Rosen, Inc., was not registered with the Attorney, General of the United States as a person engaged in the business of manufacturing gambling devices, or as a person engaged in the business of repairing, reconditioning, buying, selling, leasing, using, or making available for use by others any gambling device.

9. At the time of manufacture and at the time of shipment of the defendant devices from Franklin Park, Illinois to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, each defendant device did not have permanently affixed thereto, so as to be clearly visible, [935]*935any number, the name and/or trade name of the manufacturer and the date of manufacture of the defendant device.

10. The total value of the defendant Star-Pack Cigarette Merchandiser Machines exceeds $2,500.

11. The defendant devices can be adapted to any coin operated dispensing machine, either mechanical or electrical.

12. The defendant devices are designed and manufactured solely for attachment to coin operated dispensing machines to cause such machines to deliver free merchandise by the application of the element of chance, which element of chance is determined by the operation of the defendant devices.

CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

1. The court has jurisdiction of this civil forfeiture proceeding pursuant to the provisions of 15 U.S.C. §§ 1171 et seq.

2. Libelant is the United States of America, the sovereign power.

3. These are proceedings in rem, the defendants being one hundred and twelve Star-Pack Merchandiser Machines.

4. The defendant machines are devices designed and manufactured primarily for use in connection with gambling and by the operation of which a person may become entitled to receive property as the result of the application of an element of chance.

5. The defendant devices were transported in interstate commerce in violation of the laws of the United States, specifically the provisions of 15 U.S.C. § 1172.

6. The defendant devices are subject to forfeiture by the United States of America under the provisions of 15 U.S.C. § 1177.

DISCUSSION

The question in this forfeiture proceeding is whether the Star-Pack unit is a gambling device under the definition contained in 15 U.S.C. § 1171, as amended in 1962. The portion of the definition pertinent here is:

“§ 1171. Definitions
As used in this chapter—
(a) The term ‘gambling device’ means—
* ■» * -X- * *
(2) any other machine or mechanical device (including, but not limited to, roulette wheels and similar devices) designed and manufactured primarily for use in connection with gambling, and (A) which when operated may deliver, as the result of the application of an element of chance, any money or property, or (B) by the operation of which a person may become entitled to receive, as the result of the application of an element of chance, any money or property; * *

The device in question is designed to be attached to a regular cigarette vending machine. Its function is to activate, by the element of chance, the cigarette vending machine to deliver a free package of cigarettes in addition to the one which the customer has purchased. Thus, the necessary elements of consideration (patronizing the machine), prize (free package of cigarettes), and chance1 are present and the definition of gambling device will be satisfied if this device was designed and manufactured ;primarily for use in connection with gambling.

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268 F. Supp. 740 (D. New Jersey, 1966)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
248 F. Supp. 933, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10333, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-11-star-pack-cigarette-merchandiser-machines-paed-1966.