WILDWOOD, NJ – A Wildwood boardwalk game of chance operator has lost their license for at least ten years, according to the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General.
If customers played at some chance-game stands in Wildwood owned by Christine Strothers, chances are they were rigged, according to New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin.
Strothers, who operates numerous locations along the Wildwood Boardwalk, was slapped with a 10-year ban from operating games of chance after officials said she violated state regulations.
It turns out Strothers was over-inflating basketballs to cheat her customers.
Strothers received seven AGLs during the spring of 2022 to run basketball and quarterback challenge games in several stores and businesses along the Wildwood and North Wildwood boardwalks.
Investigators for the Commission inspected each game in the summer of 2022 and found that several basketballs used for the basketball games were inflated beyond the manufacturer’s specifications, some almost three times the recommended pressure per square inch (“PSI”). Operators are required to follow the recommended PSI. Failure to follow the recommended PSI can adversely affect a player’s chances of winning, as an overinflated ball may bounce erratically when it hits the rim or backboard of the hoop.
The OAG’s office said over-inflated basketballs at the Jersey Shore are a common occurrence and in 2021, the state warned operators they will be coming around to check.
“Every person who plays an amusement game in the State of New Jersey deserves a fair shot at winning a prize,” said Attorney General Platkin. “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.”
Consumers who believe that an amusement game is being operated in violation of the Amusement Games Licensing Law are encouraged to file an online complaint. Consumers can also call 1-800-242-5846 to receive a complaint form by mail.