S.P. BOOKMAKER CLAIMS £2,500,000 TURNOVER

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28748, 20 November 1958, Page 4

S.P. BOOKMAKER CLAIMS £2,500,000 TURNOVER

(N.Z Press Association—Copyngnt)

MELBOURNE. November 19. The Victorian Royal Commission on off-course betting was told today about a former Melbourne starting price bookmaker who said he had a turnover of £2.500,000 a year. The man, whose name was written on a piece of paper for the Commissioner (Mr F. R. B. Martin) and not disclosed, may be called as a witness Mr A. E. Woodward, counsel assisting the commission, said he had originally decided not to call the man—referred to as ‘Whacker.” This was because the man had asked to be excused on grounds that seemed adequate, he said. The Commissioner said to Mr Woodward: "I think perhaps you ought to reconsider calling this man.” Mr Woodward agreed to do so. The Commission was told about the S.P man by Mr T. V Holt, secretary of the Victorian Country Racing Clubs’ Association, the Gippsland District Racing Association and Moe Racing Club. Mr Holt said he poke to the S. man on a Gippsland racecourse about nine months ago and later. “Forced Out” The man said he had had a turnover of £2,500,000 a year, but had been forced out of business by police activity, Mr Holt said. Mr Holt said the former S.P. man told him he thought racing people were “crazy to put up with S.P. bookmakers without trying to do something about it.” Some small country towns would not be serviced by an offcourse totalizator scheme in Victoria, the chairman of the Victoria Racing Club (Sir Chester Manifold) said. But he did not think this was altogether a “great weakness” to the off-course scheme, which was favoured by the major metropolitan racing clubs. People in these small places could telephone their bets, or go to other towns to place them. He said the introduction of a T. system without the option of other forms of betting would not suppress the liberty of betters. Experience showed that offcourse totalisator did not keep people away from racecourses. Sir Chester Manifold said he considered off-course totalizators could compete successfully with starting price operators, even if totalisators closed 40 minutes before a race. “Strictly Regulated" He did not consider a T.A.B. system would encourage people to bet if they normally did not It would be strictly regulated and more confined than present start-ing-price operations. To questions. Sir Chester Manifold agreed basically that the traffic in horses between New Zealand and Australia was practically 100 per cent. Australia’s way.

Asked if he agreed that a very substantial reason for it was that the connexions of New Zealand horses liked to get set with a bookmaker when their horse was running, he said. ”1 would not say one of the substantial reasons. It could be a reason; but I think there are more important reasons.”

Sir Chester Manifold said there were more races in the spring and autumn in Australia with high stakes, and there seemed to be some attraction for people to win a Melbourne Cup. Sir Chester Manifold said he did not agree that a New Zealand racecourse was very colourless on race days because there were no bookmakers.