LICENSED "BOOKIES."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 230, 28 September 1935, Page 24

LICENSED "BOOKIES."

STARTING PRICE SHOPS. N.S.W. BETTING LAWS. Proposals .for the alteration of betting legislation are to be brought before the New South Wales Parliament shortly, and in view of the fact that another attempt is to be made to amend the Gaming Act 111 New Zealand it is interesting to read what is intended there; also, how the racing clubs have fared in South Australia since bookmakers were relicensed. When amending betting legislation comes before Parliament (says a Sydney writer) the question of lic«tsing starting price bookmakers is bound to be raised, and this aspect will probably be considered by Cabinet before the proposed bill is framed. It is known that a number of Government supporters, as well as one or two members of Cabinet, take the view that as it is apparently impossible to suppress illegal betting, the best remedy would be td license a limited number of off-the-course bookmakers, as lias /been done in South Australia. A number of the United Australia party supporters already have publicly expressed themselves in favour of this, and it is stated that the police desire the legalising of starting price betting in view of the difficulties of enforcing the anti-betting law. An important aspect to be considered is the effect of off-the-course betting on the revenue of racing clubs. It has been suggested that the revenue from starting price bookmakers' licenses should, in part at least, be used to enable the Government to reduce ordinary racing taxation, while the clubs, on their jjart, might secure larger attendances by reducing prices of admission. The subject is of particular interest for country members of the Legislative Assembly, whose constituents follow metropolitan racing, but, except in rare instances, are unable to visit the city to attend the rafces. Racehorse owners and breeders generally are opposed to the licensing of starting price "bookies." Mr. R. Dangar, owner of Peter Pan, said the proposal would, strike a fatal blow to all horse-racing. It would reduce attendances, which in turn would reduce the prize money, and surely, he added, the prizes in Sydney to-day were down to a dangerous minimum. ®

Effect on Breeding Industry. Mr. Fred Smith, a well-known owner of many horses, said that licensing of starting price bookmakers would have a most dangerous effect on racing and the breeding of stud stock. It would strike at the root of the justification of horse-racing. Since prize money had been improved Aver recent years, the breeding of stud horses had become an important industry, and its existence depended on the attraction of large numbers to racecourses, so that adequate prize money' could be paid to encourage breeding. If people were kept away from the courses, as would occur if starting price betting were licensed, the importation of blood horses from overseas would cease, and breeding would degenerate, until ultimately they would get back to a state of brumbies. "There seems," he added, "to be some justification for granting concessions to people living in country centres and in the bush, who have no chance of attending racecourses, but for the city man I would say, 'Go to the racecourse or stop betting.' Bookmakers in Adelaide.

Revenue from bookmakers on South Australian courses and in betting shops is about £170,000 a year, derived from a 2 per cent tax on the turnover of bookmakers and a ticket tax of %d on bets up to 10/ and 3d over 10/. Last year bookmakers handled £5,000,000. There are.3Bo •bookmakers in South Australia and 300 betting shops—4o in the city of Adelaide, 116 in the suburbs, and 144 in the country. The controlling body, the South Australian Jockey Club, reports that its tote takings for seven days' racing dropped from £289,367 in 1926-27, when the "books",were not operating, to £97,191 in 1934-35, with bookmakers. Other clubs maintain that they are better off now. They receive CO per cent of the 2 per cent tax on the turnover of bookmakers - on local races/.and they say this compensates them for the loss of tote revenue. Country racing clubs undoubtedly have benefited under the new system. Many that were heavily in debt three years ago are now prospering. The general opinion is that betting shops have come to stay. The Commissioner of. Police, a member of the Betting Control Board; fsays the existing system is much mpre Satisfactory than the old, when illegal betting was rife and an army of.police wps employed to combat it. One; interesting feature about betting shops is that more money is wagered on races in Melbourne than on local races.