LICENSING OF BOOKMAKERS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25177, 7 May 1947, Page 9

LICENSING OF BOOKMAKERS

SCHEME OPPOSED BY WITNESS EVIDENCE BY MR J. R. MCKENZIE “I say' without fear of contradiction that there is no country in the world where racing is carried on more fairly than in New Zealand,” said John Robert McKenzie, a company director, when he gave evidence before the Royal Commission on Gaming and Racing yesterday. Mr McKenzie said he had formed friendships with many sporting men in other parts of the world and had invited them to New Zealand. They had all agreed that they had never seen racing conducted better than it was in New Zealand. The New Zealander probably did not realise how good the. conditions were. “Many other countries have licensed bookmakers, and these create an entirely different atmosphere to the one to which we are accustomed,” he continued. “The shouting and racket, the pushing and noise are thoroughly unpleasant, and if introduced into New Zealand would detrimentally affect the enjoyment of the sport. “To-day, the volume of betting which goes through the illegal bookmaker channels must be large indeed, but if bookmakers are licensed this amount must be materially increased, because those who will not be prepared to invest through illegal channels will invest when those channels are legalised. In consequence the turnover of business through the totalisator must be reduced. Any reduction must react against the sport, and against the breeding industry because there will be a reduction in stakes and in improvements on the grounds. “As a result of my association with betting men in various countries I am satisfied that once the bookmaker is licensed, and the element of personal gain is introduced, there will always be a tendency towards corrupt practice. It has to be remembered that once the bookmaker is licensed we will have not only the bookmaker but also his army of disreputable followers. Mr McKenzie said that there were insufficient totalisator permits available to enable horses to graduate in a reasonable time from the maiden and looser classes. The improvement in the breeding industry and appreciation of the light harness horse had been so great that he was contemplating running his stud farm to breed stock for sale, he added. He intended to drop out of racing gradually and to confine his activities to breeding and selling young stock. As an example of the increase in value of young trotting stock, Mr McKenzie said that some years ago he offered a well-bred yearling, Nola Scott, for sale, and was offered six guineas. That price was refused, and eventually the horse became a good winner. If it was offered as a yearling to-day it would bring between 400 and 500 guineas.