Govt moves cautiously on Lotto

Press, 31 October 1979, Page 2

Govt moves cautiously on Lotto

PA Wellington The Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr Higheti said yesterday that he regards Lotto, the numbers game lottery, as an alternative to present lotteries rather than an additional gambling outlet, but he hoped that Lotto would draw more revenue than lotteries. "You cannot expect these $500,000 lotteries to maintain momentum. You have to think up new ideas,” he said. A Government caucus committee has examined Lotto, and its chairman, Mr K. M. Comber, the Under-Secretary of Interna! Affairs, hopes to report to the Cabinet and the caucus before the end of the year. Mr Highet said that if the Cabinet and the caucus approve. he would like a select committee of Government and Opposition members to examine Lotto and hear submissions. It is believed that a majority of the Government caucus committee is in favour of introducing Lotto, which is popular in other countries, including Australia. However. the National member

for Clutha (Mr R. M. Gray) — “a good Presbyterian who has been very consistent in his attitude" in Mr Highet's words — is strongly opposed to Lotto. Mr Highet has said that if Lotto were to proceed it would be confined to New Zealand. He had told Tattersails. of Melbourne, that New Zealand was not interested in hating Australians run it. •The Cabinet is right behind me on that.” he said. Tattersalls representatives were in New Zealand recentlv. lobbying members of the caucus committee with a proposal that New Zealand participate in the weekly Tattslotto. Mr Highet believes that introducing Lotto is not an urgent matter. "Haste is unnecessary, because the lotteries we run at present are going well,” I he said. However, people tended to lose interest, which was why something new, such as Lotto, was attractive. In Lotto, people pick their j own numbers and can watch I the weekly draw on tele- ■ vision.