OFF-COURSE BETTING

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29798, 14 April 1962, Page 19

OFF-COURSE BETTING

Legislation Proposed (N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) SYDNEY, April 12. The New South Wales Government hopes to be in a position to bring down legislation late this year to legalise oflf-course betting. Since Cabinet decided on Monday to set up a Royal Commission on betting, plans have been made to speed up the machinery for the inquiry. A preliminary hearing probably will be held by the Royal Commissioner (Mr Justice Kinsell) within a fortnight. The Royal Commissioner has indicated that after this he hopes to proceed with the inquiry as quickly as possible. Terms of reference will be announced by the N.S.W. Government after they have been approved by the Executive Council, next Wednesday. It is understood they will be limited to whether off-course betting should be legalised, and in what form. The Royal Commissioner, it is expected, will be given limited power to inquire into present illegal betting operations. But the terms will be wide enough to admit evidence about racketeering, which will be relevant to the question of correcting these evils by legalising starting price betting. The Chief Secretary (Mr C. A. Kelly), who administers the Gaming and Betting Act, is unlikely to go into the witness box. but his reports made to the Government on his inquiries into off-course betting, in other states and New Zealand, are certain to be made available to the Royal Commission. The Government is anxious to have the Royal Commissioner’s report and recommendations as quickly as possible, and already it has indicated it proposes to act immediately the report is available.