The highly popular Japanese wooden toy kendama has been banned from Campbell High School over gambling concerns.

A parent recently notified school officials that some students were losing their kendamas if they lost a game.

The wooden cross-shaped toy consists of a long main body (ken) with a ball (dama or tama) attached by a string. The bottom end of the base and the crosspieces are cupped, and the ball typically has at least one hole, where it can land on the pointed top of the body.

The object of the game is to get the ball to rest on one of the ends. More advanced tricks involve sequential catches and balances.

"When the students played, the winning student won the other kid’s kendama, which was considered to be a form of gambling and would fall under a Chapter 19 offense," said Department of Education spokeswoman Donalyn Dela Cruz.

Chapter 19 refers to the section of the department’s administrative rules dealing with student misconduct.

Gambling is listed as one of about three dozen "prohibited student conduct" offenses. It defines gambling as "staking or risking something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance or a future contingent … upon an agreement or understanding that the person or someone else will receive something of value in the event of a certain outcome."

An announcement on the high school’s website says the toys are now considered a contraband item and will be confiscated.

Campbell’s principal declined to be interviewed.

Dela Cruz said the department is not imposing a statewide ban on the toys. She said some elementary schools already ban toys in general, which includes kendamas.

"Principals can create their own learning environments. If something becomes a distraction for learning, then yes, a school can take it upon themselves to ban items," she said.