BETTING LAWS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 280, 26 November 1938, Page 24

BETTING LAWS.

IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA. REPORT OF COMMISSION. Tho report of the Royal Commission in South Australia on tatting Ihwb nn<l practice wim tabled recently. The commissioners were Mesors. H. B. (now Mr. Justice) Piper. K. F. V. Sanderson (stipendiary niajrwtrate) ami S. Powell (accountant 1. Their inquiry lasted 12 monitlis, and evidence was taken in all Statcn except Went Australia. Prior to IH.'I.'J lejral Wttinjr wm restricted to the totalizator, but illegal betting with bookmakers had reached the proportions of a wandal. With the legalisation of the bookmakers a l>ettin<r control board was established. It consinted of th« chairman (a former politician), the CV>mmi»i«iioner of Police and a third member. The first third member wiim the secretary of two racinjr clulw atul the present is a leading hotelkeeper. The board ha« power to license bettinjr shops and draw up betting rules. Some of the many interesting facts e«tablishe«t by the comtninnion are: (1) That there were, prior to the H).'l3 Act, 04.1 illegal bookmakers operating in as many known place#. (2) That the money which changed hands yearly in the illegal days was .£2.tSOO,(HH) at the mo*t. (For the financial year ended .June 30. Ift3B. the amount involved was £7.740.912.1 (3) That betting is more wideMpread; more people are betting because of the betting shop service. (Of the 3rt.. r i48.70«i l)et« made in 1037-38 approximately live per «-«' nt only were made on the course* on local races; that is, race* that the lH'tters siw rim.) (4) That in the illegal days the police, while showing fomcndalilc act'vtiy in many directions, were not force<l to i»« their most powerful weapon—the section of the 1027 Act which gave them power to apply to the Supreme Court to have premise* declared common gaming hoiwen. (The ('ortimis•iloner of Police in his evidence stated that he had not been prepared to take tliin course. Commenting on this the report says: "We consider that the Commissioner misunderstood his functions in regard to this section and exaggerated his difficulties.") (f>) That "the chief reason for the present (bad) condition of horse racing is off-the-conrse betting."

'Hie Commission submitted the draft <>f an nmeinliiiir bill and also made a great, number of recommendations, of which the following are outstanding: — I hat the Betting Control Board shall lonsist of a cha i r 111 11 p. a stipendiary "•ajfistrate and a chartered accountant II he reasons for the exclusion of the Miui iKsiotiet ot Poliee oil general pol'wv " I'' :' len»th.i That regis--1 4 iiil; pioiiiiHiM shall not }»«» ot>on •"« »<>y dav between 1.30 p.m. „„,l or after tl p.m. '