Jersey Shore’s “crooked” carny eggs were too big: A.G.
New England had Deflategate. There is an Inflategate on the Jersey Shore.
Carney Wildwood rigged boardwalk games last summer by over-inflating basketballs, state officials say.
Authorities announced this week that entertainment operator Christine Strothers was banned from the boardwalk for 10 years and fined $15,500 for using the ruse.
Steph Curry’s snipers had little chance of winning the teddy bear because the balls were inflated to three times the recommended pressure, according to New Jersey officials. This caused inflated basketballs to bounce erratically when they hit the rim or backboard.
“There are always people out there who want to outdo others,” said Cliff Jimenez, 56, owner of Wildwood’s Watergate Deli on Pacific Avenue. “It’s unfortunate, but we live in such a time.”
Even if the boardwalk hoopsters somehow outperformed the odds, officials said, they were still out of luck.
The commission found that Strothers was displaying large plush animals that were not real prizes.
“Every person who plays a recreational game in the state of New Jersey deserves a fair chance to win a prize,” Attorney General Matthew Platkin said in a statement. “The Jersey Shore is one of the state’s most attractive destinations for families looking for fun and relaxation, and we make sure these families are not scammed out of their hard-earned money.”
$15,500 in Strothers’ wallet means “a $500 fine for each of the 31 basketballs found to be over-inflated” during multiple inspections in 2022, according to an 11-page ruling by the Legal Gambling Control Commission, which is part of the State Department of Law and Public Safety.
The order stated that Strothers had a history of violations, “including the payment of $16,500 in fines for games played in 2021.”
The promenade pariah also allegedly played games with the authorities.
Strothers was given time to hire a lawyer, but she never did and did not bother to appear at her hearing or give a written response to refute the allegations, the order said.
Strothers could not be contacted for comment.
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texasstandard.news contributed to this report.