Trebles could be disastrous

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33965, 4 October 1975, Page 8

Trebles could be disastrous

A consistent prediction for some years now is that the Government is slowly “killing the goose that lays the golden egg.” Now it seems that the Totalisator Agency Board, with the approval of the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr May), by introducing off-course treble and quinella betting could hasten the death of the goose.

This is the opinion of Mr Geoff Bradbury, secretary of several Canterbury racing and trotting clubs “It has now got to the stage where the T.A.8., originally instituted and financed by the conference as the off-course agent for on-course betting,, is far exceeding its original purpose,” said Mr Bradbury. “Instead of the dog wagging Its tail it now appears that the tail is wagging the dog,” he said “When the T.A.B. approached both conferences for their views on this latest form of betting they met strong opposition,” said Mr Bradbury. “But the wishes of the conferences were ignored and overruled. “This new form of off-course betting must adversely affect on-course attendances and consequently the finances of the smaller clubs which are already up against it financially,” said Mr Bradbury. LIMITED BENEFIT Mr Bradbury said that the only

clubs to reap the benefit of T.A.B rebles on any day would be he larger clubs. As an example le cited Labour Day when there would be race meetings and the ibvious club to be allotted trebles would be Wellington. “It is inevitable that punters will divert their attention to Trentham and that would siphor off doubles and win and place betting from other meetings.” Mr Bradbury said that the financial situation most clubs faced was clearly disclosed in statistics released last July. These showed that of the 135 racing and trotting clubs in New Zea land only 47 showed a profit on the year’s operations and the over-all loss for galloping clubs alone amounted to $517,000. “For some time Government lias turned a deaf ear to clubs’ pleas for relief in taxation,” said Mr Bradbury. “The last time clubs were give a rise in income. as far as taxation was concerned, was in 1968 when the Government agreed that an additional 2.68 per cent could be retained from doubles and quinella betting. “Since then costs have risen astronomically,” he said. "In the last year alone expenditure for on e of the local trotting clubs rose by 78 per cent and for a corresponding galloping club by 92 per cent.’ 7 Mr Bradbury said that it would be very pleasant for betters to have the opportunity of taking trebles and quinellas through the T.A.B. but also stressed the point that if it caused clubs to become Insolvent. there would be no further need for the T.A.B. at all.