BIG BETTING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 84, 11 April 1939, Page 14

BIG BETTING.

EASTER INVESTMENTS. ELLERSLIE OVER £153,000. SOUTHERN MEETINGS SHOW INCREASE. The remarkable increase in totalisator investments which vas recorded for the Christmas-Xew Year race meetings throughout the Dominion was- no mere flash in the pan; the Easter holiday races just concluded is deserving of similar commentary. The investments at the 12 race fixtures amounted to £515.347, and in? t °f al represents an increase of £84.920 i. en compared with the figures for the Easter meetings of 1938. Auckland's contribution was £153.838 10/, and this K rr £21 ' 418 more than last vear. • £, attendance at the Auckland Racing Club's meeting on Saturday and Monday was remarkably good, the total of 46.500 being 4500 in excess of that for 1938, and. while it is true that this merease was partly responsible for the larger totalisator investments, there is little doubt that the action of the club in reverting to the win-and-place system of betting was the principal influence on the betting public. Some of the meetings at Easter of last year were affected adversely bv bad weather, but it is a (significant fact that there were substantial increases at fixtures this Easter, which were not troubled by bad climatic conditions in 1938. The following comparative table dealing with investments for the last two Easter periods is especially interesting in that all 12 clubs concerned recorded increased figures for this Easter:— 1938 1939 Rise £ £ £ Auckland . . 132.420} 153.838} 21,71S Riccarton .. 53,326 58.179} 4,853} Addington . 45,681 SS.4SO} 13.799} Feildmg ... 41.035} 57.690 16,654} Hawera ... 34.451 43.902} 9.451} Riverton . . 37.574} 63,001 5.126} Wairarapa . 32.201 37.850} 5.649} Waipukurau 10.605?. 13.512} 2,907 Beaumont . 10.061 11.723} 1,6»>2} Greyniouth . 4.933} 5.840} 907 Tuapeka .. . 3.SSS 4.922 1.034 Kuinara ... 3.949 6.406 2,457 Totals . £430.426} £515.347 £84.02"}