LICENSED "BOOKIES"

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 189, 12 August 1935, Page 8

LICENSED "BOOKIES"

"SHOULD BE FEASIBLE"

RACING PRESIDENT'S VIEW,

SUPPRESSION A FAILURE,

The question of relicensing bookmakers was touched upon by Mr. 0. Nicholson, president of the Auckland Racing Club, during his address at the annual meeting of that club this afternoon. Mr. Nicholson said that at the recent meeting of the Racing Conference, in response to a request from the committee of the Auckland Racing Club, a discussion took place on the question of whether or not support should be extended to legislation for the licensing of bookmakers upon conditions approved by the conference. The opinion of a majority of the delegates was against any support being extended to such licensing, and it might accordingly be assumed that so far as the conference was concerned the question had been finally disposed of. It must be patent to everyone that the police had quite failed in their efforts to suppress the bookmaker, who was still further greatly assisted in his operations by the broadcasting of running descriptions and results of various race meetings, as well as his enjoyment by devious means of the excellent telegraphic and telephone facilities provided by the Government Departments. While the relicensing of bookmakers was a question calling for the exercise of the greatest care, in order to provide as far as possible against abuses creeping in, and thereby throwing discredit on the whole system of betting, a just and equitable law to meet what was really a strong public demand should be quite feasible, and from the experience gained from other countries it should not be a difficult matter by means of appropriate regulations to maintain strict control by the proper authorities. Illicit Betting. Taxation was, he regretted to say, still a heavy burden 011 the racing public. For the past 12 months this club had been the means of crediting the public account for 11 days' racing with the large sum of £39,510 12/1, from which a refund of £250 was made by the Government. For part of the year the Government also allowed clubs to retain one-tenth of the totalisator tax and for the last two meetings this was increased to one-fifth. This measure of relief was duly appreciated, but could be very largely augmented without loss to the Government if the large amount of betting at present carried 011 through illicit channels were tapped and made to bear its due proportion. This could to some extent be achieved by the passing of legislation such as outlined in his last address to permit of the installation of the double totalisator, transmission of investments by telegraph and the publication of dividends. A bill in this direction failed to reach its final stages in Parlia>**lit and it was apparent that unless the Government sponsored such a measure or afforded facilities for its having a definite decision by Parliament clubs would remain handicapped through lack of facilities available indirectly to the illegal layer of odds.