APPEAL TO "SPORTS."

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 70, 3 April 1922, Page 8

APPEAL TO "SPORTS."

A REASONABLE PROPOSAL. An appeal is being made to the sporting members of the- community to sign a petition concerning n proposed amendment to the Gaming Act. The Dominion Sportsmen's Association, which is backing the petition, declares that the time has arrived when Hroadminded people of the Dominion should unite in the defence of their traditional rights and privileges.

The: immediate aim of the Association is to secure the licensing of bookmakers by the State for the purpose of carrying on. their business on racecourses only, under proper control by the Racing Conference and Trotting Conference.

It is plain to the unbiassed mind that if the State legalises gambling by means of the totalisator it i 6 only consistent to allow betting by means of the bookmaker, on the racecourse also. Gambling is not made moral simply by making a monopoly of it. If the bookmaker were licensed to bet side by «ide with the totalisator the poor man who wishes to invest his half-crown or live shillings would not be driven to place a larger sum upon the totalisator. The present Gaming Law is not only illogical and unpopular, but it ha 6 done nothing to minimise the betting evil.

Another important aspect of the proposal is that if bookmakers were licensed as suggested it is possible and probable that the State would benefit to the extent of about £100,000 per annum from license fees, betting tax, and income tax, while the racing clubs would receive in permit fees the sum of £79,000 per annum. Is it reasonable for the Government to neglect this revenue—which it so badly seeds?