In April, Jodie Tonnies and her fiance, Harold Schanck, wrote a 246-word essay and mailed it with a $99.99 entry fee, hoping to win an essay contest and its grand prize, a house in Willingboro Township, Burlington County, N.J.
But-as with other similar contests around the state-it was ruled an unauthorized form of gambling. The contest was declared void, and the contest sponsor, Janice E. Roots, was told to return the entry fees.
In a July 15 letter to James J. Gerrow Jr., Burlington County’s executive assistant prosecutor, Roots said she had ended the contest would return the fees by Aug. 1.
Tonnies and Schanck are still waiting for their $99.99. “I’m afraid it’s a scam,” Tonnies, 28, of Bloomfield, said. “It took me a while to get the money and to write the essay. It’s really sad.”
The question now being asked is when further action will be taken. Efforts to reach Roots were unsuccessful. Her lawyer, Mark D. Cubberly, of Hamilton Township, Mercer County, said he has written to Roots and “impressed upon her” the need to quickly return the entry fees. Cubberly said he also spoke to Gerrow to update him on the situation.
Gerrow said he’s asked Cubberly to tell Roots of his office’s concerns. “It’s my impression that none of the money has been returned, and we may talking about 500 entries.”
Gerrow said he make take actions, which could include filing criminal complaints and asking a Burlington County Superior Court judge to freeze the escrow account containing the entry fees.
Roots’ contest, begun Jan. 11, was the first of several statewide that attempted to circumvent the state’s rules on unauthorized gambling.
The law defines gambling as risking something of value on the outcome of a contest of chance with the expectation of receiving something of value if you win said, Deputy State Attorney General Carol M. Henderson.
Though not widely regarded as such, essay contests are games of chance, she said, because winners are chosen based on subjective evaluations of the essays, rather than on established criteria.
The state Division of Consumer Affairs permits raffles by five types of charities only: religious, public-spirited (such as a rescue squad), registered charitable groups (such as United Way), patriotic (such as veterans organizations), and educational (schools or groups affiliated with schools, such as PTAs).
Unauthorized forms of gambling, such as illegal raffles or bingo games, can be punished by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000.
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