OFF-COURSE BETTING

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26125, 30 May 1950, Page 4

OFF-COURSE BETTING

OPERATION UNLIKELY UNTIL AUGUST ADDITIONAL LEGISLATION NECESSARY From Our Own Reporter WELLINGTON, May 29. Additional legislation will be necessary to give effect to the off-course betting scheme, and it will probably be August at the very earliest before the scheme can be brought into operation. This was revealed by the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr W. A. Bodkin) to-night after discussions with representatives of the New Zealand Racing Conference. The Minister said that the Government had considered the proposals for off-course betting submitted by representatives of the Racing and Trotting Conferences and had approved them with amendments. The amended proposals had now to be redrafted and submitted to racing and trotting clubs for their consideration. When these proposals had gone forward for the consideration of the clubs the details would be released to the press for publication. The final proposals would come before the respective annual conferences of the racing and trotting clubs and would subsequently be formally approved by the Government.

Mr Bodkin said that the amendments required by the Cabinet necessitated a considerable redrafting of the constitution of the original scheme, though the fundamentals of that scheme had not been changed. The Government took the view that its job was to control and regulate only and that it must stand in the same relationship to offcourse betting as it did to on-course betting on the totalisator, which was controlled by the clubs themselves. The Cabinet considered that the same considerations must apply in each case. The Government would not be concerned with either the success or the failure of the scheme. Mr Bodkin said. The full responsibility devolved upon the Racing and Trotting Conferences. The proposals had been closely examined by the State departments which would have a close interest in the scheme, including the Police Department. he said. The amended scheme had the approval of all the departments concerned. The Police Department was vitglly concerned and it had made a number of recommendations designed to ensure adequate control and to eliminate illegal betting. The tightening-up of other legislation might also result from suggestions put forward by the police. The opinion that the physical difficulties in the way of the scheme would be very great because the Post and Telegraph Department would be able to make only a very small contribution, was expressed by Mr Bodkin. He said the department was already overloaded and it had been laid down that no priority in the way of telephone or telegraphic services could be given to the proposed betting corporation. Anv facilities the deoartment could provide could be given only after it had met the normal needs of the New Zealand public.