Other LanguagesAGO 1963 NO. 22 >
Under the constitution and statutes of this state a lottery consists of three elements: (1) prize; (2) chance; and (3) consideration. The name of the scheme or enterprise is immaterial. A violation of our lottery statute (RCW 9.59.010) occurs where a store advertises and operates a scheme whereby customers who make purchases in a certain amount (which are recorded on a premium card) or who have made a certain number of visits to a store (and have received the required number of free punches on the premium card) may win from $1 to $1,000. The first two elements are clearly present; the third, consideration, is established by the fact the paying and nonpaying participants are inextricably grouped together.