The Stat. 9 Ann, c. 14, enacts that all bonds and other securities given for money won at play, or money lent at the time to play withal, shall be utterly void, that all mortgages and incumbrances of lands made upon the same consideration shall be, and enure to the heir of the mortgager: that, if any person at one time loses 10l. at play, he may sue the winner, and recover it back by action of debt at law, and in case the loser does not, any other person may sue the winner for treble the sum so lost, and the plaintiff in either case, may examine the defendant himself upon oath; and that in any of these suits no privilege of parliament shall be allowed: the Stat, further enacts, that if any person cheats at play, and at one time wins more than 10l. or any valuable thing, he may be indicted thereupon, and shall forfeit five times the value, shall be deemed infamous, and suffer such corporal punishment as in case of wilful perjury. By several Stats. of George II, all private lotteries by tickets, cards, or dice, (and particularly the games of faro, basset, ace of hearts, hazard, rolly polly, pas dice, and all games with dice, except backgammon) are prohibited under a penalty of 200l. for him that shall erect such lotteries, and 50l. a time for the players. Public lotteries unless by authority of Parliament, and all manner of ingenious devices which in the end are equivalent to lotteries, were before prohibited by a great variety of statutes, under heavy pecuniary penalties. The Stat. 13 George II. c. 19, to prevent the multiplicity of horse races, another fund of gaming, directs that no plates, or matches, under 50l. value each, shall be run, upon penalty of 200l. to be paid by the owner of each horse running, and 100l. by such as advertise the plate. By Stat. 18 George II. c. 34, the Stat. 9 Ann is further enforced, and some deficiencies supplied:—the forfeiture of that act may now be recovered in a court of equity; and moreover, if any man be convicted upon information or indictment of winning or losing at any sitting, 10l. or 20l. within twenty-four hours, he shall forfeit five times the sum. Thus careful has the legislator been to prevent this destructive vice. And in order to prevent the dreadful consequences, such as Duelling and other outrages, on account of money won at play, the party who shall provoke to fight, or commit any assault, for the purpose of compelling the payment of any money so won, shall forfeit all his personal property to the king, and suffer two years imprisonment in the county goal where the offence was committed. A prosecution under this act is attended with little more difficulty than proving a common assault. Upon this statute Hill Darley, of Bond-street, was very lately convicted, and compromised the pecuniary part with the High Bailiff of Westminster for 1000l. and obtained a remission of some part of his imprisonment in Horsham gaol.