A games operator has been banned for 10-years after investigators determined she used over-inflated basketballs in several games along the Wildwood and North Wildwood boardwalk.
What to Know
- Christine Strothers, who operated several amusement games along Jersey Shore boardwalks, has been banned from Amusement Game Licenses (AGLs) for ten years after her company over-inflated basketballs and violated other regulations, Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced Wednesday.
- Strothers also was fined $15,500 for failing to comply with the Amusement Games Licensing Law, according to Platkin.
- In the spring of 2022, Strothers received seven AGLs to operate basketball and quarterback challenge games at several stores and businesses along the boardwalk in Wildwood and North Wildwood. Last summer, investigators with the Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission (LGCCC) inspected each game and found several basketballs used were inflated to more than the manufacturer’s specifications, some by almost three times the recommended per square inch of air (PSI).
No, you weren’t just making excuses for your poor shooting skills. It turns out several basketball challenge games on the boardwalk in Wildwood and North Wildwood actually were rigged, according to New Jersey’s Attorney General.
Christine Strothers, who operated several amusement games along Jersey Shore boardwalks, has been banned from Amusement Game Licenses (AGLs) for ten years after her company over-inflated basketballs and violated other regulations, Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced Wednesday.
Strothers also was fined $15,500 for failing to comply with the Amusement Games Licensing Law, according to Platkin.
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In the spring of 2022, Strothers received seven AGLs to operate basketball and quarterback challenge games at several stores and businesses along the boardwalk in Wildwood and North Wildwood. Last summer, investigators with the Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission (LGCCC) inspected each game and found several basketballs used were inflated to more than the manufacturer’s specifications, some by almost three times the recommended per square inch of air (PSI). Operators of the games are required to follow the recommended PSI. Not doing so can unfairly impact a player’s chance of winning with an over-inflated ball more prone to bouncing erratically once it hits the rim or backboard of the hoop.
The Commission also determined Strothers violated the regulations related to the display of prizes with one of her games having large plush animals in the stand that weren’t able to be won and another occasion in which the operator never showed the prizes that could be won. The Commission also said an investigator wasn’t immediately given change after paying $20 to play a quarterback challenge game that cost $10, violating a New Jersey Administrative Code.
“Every person who plays an amusement game in the State of New Jersey deserves a fair shot at winning a prize,” Platkin said. “The Jersey Shore is one of the biggest draws in the State for families looking for fun and recreation and we are making sure those families are not being scammed out of their hard-earned money.”
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Anyone who believes that an amusement game is violating the Amusement Games Licensing Law can call 1-800-242-5846.
