GAMBLING.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 139, 12 June 1917, Page 6

GAMBLING.

PROSECUTION OF BOOKMAKERS, (Special Correspondence.) WELLINGTON; Tuesday. A very gratifying Bense of activity on the part of the local police has resulted in a number of the small fry among the bookmakers doing business in Wellington being haled before the Stipendiary Magistrate, and more or less substantially penalised for their transgressions against the law. But the big men who employ little armies of assistants up and down the country and gather in large incomes from the cupidity and stupidity of people who imagine they can get rich quickly by backing doubles and engaging in other forms of illicit betting, are still carry ing on business as usual, and apparently are going to escape unscathed. It is not unlikely the whole question of gambling will come up for discussion during the approaching session of Parliament, and if it does an attempt will be made to catch these men by a drastic amendment of the law making betting on horse racing in any form apart from the totalisator an offence punishable by imprisonment without the option of a fine. Nothing short of this seems capable of suppressing an evil which is discrediting legitimate sport and doing incalculable injury to the morals +**& well-being of the community.