OFF-COURSE BETTING

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26204, 30 August 1950, Page 6

OFF-COURSE BETTING

FINAL APPROVAL LIKELY SOON OF MINOR - AMENDMENTS (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, August 29. Final approval of the off-course betting scheme submitted to the Government by the New Zealand Racing and Trotting Conferences some monthi qgo is expected soon. Minor adjustments were made to the scheme by the two conferences recently. After it has been considered by the Cabinet, the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr W. A. Bodkin) will formally return it to the representatives of the conferences. After the scheme has been approved the conferences can then announce their representatives on the Totalisator Agency Board, which will control off-course betting as provided for in the Gaming Amendment Act, 1949. The board will consist of three representatives from each conference. Under the act its powers and functions are defined in the scheme. Nominations are believed to have been made some time ago. One of the first tasks of the board will be to consider applications for positions of general manager, secretary, and accountant, which were ad- . vertised some time ago. , The off-course betting scheme will be financed in the initial stages by a further j per cent, deduction from all totalisator investments. Legislation has been drafted to provide for this, and is expected to be introduced soon. The bill will also provide other necessary machinery for the operation of the scheme which was 1 not incldded in th® Gaming Amendment Act.