Sir James Barnes retains stand on bookmakers

Press, 21 July 1982, Page 28

Sir James Barnes retains stand on bookmakers

The president of the New Zealand Trotting Conference, Sir James Barnes, yesterday issued a statement in which he said he saw no reason to alter his views on bookmakers after a statement' from the president of the New Zealand Greyhound Racing Association, Mr Sam Fletcher. Mr Fletcher had earlier replied to comments made by Sir James in his address at the annual meeting of the Trotting Conference in Dunedin last week.

Sir James told delegates he was astounded to read that' the New . Zealand Greyhound. Association, intended to seek; Ministerial support. for legalised bookmaking. The decision put the credibility of the Greyhound Association in doubt he said, particularly when “all sectors” of the racing, industry were, opposed to the legislation of bookmakers.

In reply to those comments Mr Fletcher had said: "Registered - bookmakers within the industry are a respected and integral part of the Australian racing scene and make significant contributions both to State Treasury coffers and. the industry itself. Therein is a major reason for. the healthier financial status oi the Australian ■ racing clubs.” Mr Fletcher went on to say that'the .licensing of reputable bookmakers in New Zealand, in. the same manner as is done in Australia, could do more to eliminate the “parasitic starting price bookmaker.”

depriving the Treasury and the racing industry of sorely needed revenue, than all the ineffectual efforts the police had achieved in the last 60 years. . •/ - Sir James said yesterday, that, Mr Fletcher was “stretching his credibility even further by asserting that bookmakers make, significant contribution's to the financial wellbeing of Australian racing.” “Since the introduction of computerised betting systems- in Australia, betting with bookmakers has declined markedly,” Sir James said.

“In Sydney, before computer betting was introduced, for’every $1 invested on the totalisator, $8 went to bookmakers. Since the new system began, the bookmakers’ share of the total turnover has declined to $3 compared with the. JI invested through’ the totalisatdr and the percentage is still falling.” ■ Sir James said it was “also, significant that in practically every, case of malpractice uncovered in Australian racing, a bookmaker is frequently linked with such occurrences.” . , . The Greyhound Association had been granted rights to participate in the T.A.B. “on extremely generous terms,” Sir James said. He added that the Greyhound Association had been invited to join the Racing and Trotting Conferences -at r combined committee level and had “every right to express opinions on matters affecting the welfare of all codes. ’ - . ' “The ' fact that Mr

Fletcher’s association has ignored that body and voiced an irresponsible opinion on a subject to which racing and trotting are totally united in their opposition does Mr Fletcher and his association no credit whatever,” Sir James said. In his address to the annual conference, Sir James said initially trotting had opposed t.A.B. betting on greyhound racing, but was reluctantly forced into. a position ■ of compromise. However, trotting maintained that greyhound racing was not ready for, or economically viable, to accept offcourse betting on its meetings, and that racing and trotting would probably subsidise the costs involved. The betting performance of the greyhound code this season had done nothing to assure Sir James that the

cost of administering greyhound meetings would not, in some way, affect the payment of T.A.B. profits to the horse racing industry. • Mr Fletcher, in reply to those comments said: "Trotting ■ leaders are worrying needlessly if they consider that greyhound , racing is adversely affecting T.A.B. Hout to the horse racing istry, the TAB. does not open one additional hour for greyhound racing and the formula for: distribution of profit had' been . fairly assessed amongst the three codes. ; "Under that ■ system greyhound racing receiv'd only the share due to it. The end effect is that proportionate to turnover- each greyhound racing club makes a greater contribution to the T.A.B. than either racing or trotting,” Mr Fletcher said.