In 1886 the High Court of Justice in London ruled in the Parks case—"Jenks v. Turpin"—that baccarat was a game of chance rather than skill, and was therefore illegal when gambling was involved. In reporting the case, "The Times" described baccarat as "a new game, partly of chance, at which £1,000 may be lost in 20 minutes". After a solicitor asked the Home Secretary, Henry Matthews, to clarify the position regarding baccarat in social clubs and private houses, the Home Office civil servant Godfrey Lushington stated that there was nothing in the court's judgment that made baccarat illegal if not played for money.