TOTALISATOR REFUNDS

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28543, 24 March 1958, Page 12

TOTALISATOR REFUNDS

Gaming Act And Racing Rules

No bets on non-starters at race meetings could be refunded until the present legislation was amended, said the secretary of the New Zealand Racing Conference (Mr A. M. Mcßeath), replying to the writer of a letter to the editor of “The Press.” Writing on March 18, “Pluto” said: “I wonder when the Government and the Racing Conference are going to wake up and throw overboard the ridiculous rule that money cannot be refunded if a horse is withdrawn after the tote closes. At a North Island meeting last week over £2OOO of the public’s money went down the drain because of this rule.”

Refunds of bets on horses not starting in a race were governed by section 35 of the Gaming Act. 1908; section 4 of the Gaming Amendment Act. 1924; and rule 310 (1) of the Rules of Racing, said Mr Mcßeath. “This conference could not have a rule of racing which did not agree with a statute, and I envisage that once the Gaming Act has been amended the Rules of Racing will be Similarly amended so that refunds will be payable in respect of horses which did not start in a race but, of course, there will have to be a limit as to when the right to refund shall apply.” Mr Mcßeath quoted the relevant sections of the act and its amendment, and the rule of racing, as follows: “Section 35: Calculation of dividend.—(l) It shall be the duty of all racing (dubs using the totalistor to pay out ... by way of dividend, all moneys received from investments on the totalisator Rafter deducting by way of commission an amount not exceeding twelve and a half per centum thereof):

“Provided that it shall not be necessary to pay out fractions of a shilling unless such fraction amounts to or exceeds 6d, in which case 6d shall be paid. “(2) Every member, officer, agent, or servant of anv racing club who makes, authorises, or permits the payment to any person of any dividend which is not calculated in accordance with the provisions of this section is liable to a fine not exceeding £2O, and any incorporated racing club bv which any such dividend is paid to any person is liable to a fin* 1 not exceeding £lOO for each offence.

“Section 4: Authority to refund investments on totalisator in certain cases.—lt shall be lawful for any club licensed to use the totalisator to refund any moneys invested on the totalisator in respect of many horse which is for any reason withdrawn from any race before the totalisator is closed for that race. “Rule 310: (1) If any ticket is purchased on a horse which does not weigh out. or which is for any reason withdrawn from the race before the totalisator is closed for that race, the stewards may order the amount paid on the purchase of the ticket to be refunded on production of the ticket.”