CHAP. 445.—An ACT to prohibit the conduct of any game played for money
or thing representing money, and to prohibit receiving compensation
from those who play at such game for conducting such game or other-
wise, and to prescribe rules of. evidence in prosecutions therefor, and
for providing penalty for the violation of such act, and to confer con-
current original jurisdiction in such cases upon certain courts in
Commonwealth. (S. B. 342.)

Approved March 21, 1916.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
no person shall conduct or be interested in conducting any game
played for money or thing representing money, nor shall any
person take off or be interested in taking off any money or
thing representing money, from a pool made up by those who
are engaged in playing cards or other game for money, whether
said take off be for profit, or for the necessary expenses of
the game, or for any other purposes whatever, nor shall any
person receive directly or indirectly any money or other thing
of value as compensation for conducting such game, or for fur-
nishing the room or paraphernalia for such game.

In any prosecution under this act, when it shall appear from
the testimony of any one or more witnesses, that the accused
has the reputation of being engaged in conducting a game of
chance in violation of this act, such testimony shall be prima
facie evidence of the violation of this act by the accused.

Any person suspected of having knowledge of the violating
of this act, may be called by the State as a court’s witness, and
compelable to testify under the same rules of evidence as apply
to the examination of court’s witnesses in other cases, provided.
that the benefits, immunities, and penalties of section thirty-
eight hundred and ninety-nine of the Code of Virginia shall
apply in all respects to such witness.

Any person violating any of the provisions of this act shall
be punished by confinement in jail not less than six months
nor more than twelve months.

The circuit courts of the counties and the corporation and
hustings courts of the cities shall have concurrent original juris-
diction with the justices of the peace of the counties and with
the trial justices of the cities of all prosecutions under this act.

2. All acts in conflict with the provisions of this act are
hereby repealed.