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Some basketballs at games owned by Christine Strothers on the boardwalks in Wildwood and North Wildwood packed up to three times the amount of required pounds per square inch of inflation, state Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said.
This, as most players know, can make a ball ricochet wildly off a backboard or rim, the attorney general noted.
Strothers also broke New Jersey’s amusement games licensing law at her basketball and quarterback challenge games in other ways, as well, Platkin said.
That included violating rules for displaying prizes, he said.
In one instance, a game displayed stuffed animals that couldn’t be won, the attorney general said. Another time an inspector reported not receiving change after paying $20 for a single $10 quarterback challenge, he said.
"The Jersey Shore is one of the biggest draws in the state for families looking for fun and recreation,” Platkin said. “We are making sure those families are not being scammed out of their hard-earned money.
"Every person who plays an amusement game in the state of New Jersey deserves a fair shot at winning a prize," the attorney general added.
The move against Strothers -- who state authorities said held seven Amusement Games Licenses last year -- wasn’t a sudden zone trap.
New Jersey’s Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission announced a full-court press against over-inflating operators in 2021, warning that annual – and sometimes more frequent -- inspections could lead to fines and possible suspensions.
"Amusement game operators who aren't playing by the rules spoil the fun for everyone,” said Cari Fais, acting director of Consumer Affairs, “and they will be held accountable."
Fais wasn’t kidding. Last year alone, investigators with New Jersey’s Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission conducted 7,000 or so inspections that produced roughly $35,000 in penalties, she said.
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