N.S.W. gambling $Aust500 a head

Press, 9 May 1985, Page 14

N.S.W. gambling $Aust500 a head

NZPA staff correspondent Sydney

New South Wales gamblers will wager more than sAust274o million this financial year, sAustsoo for every man, woman and child, according to a report.

That does not include another estimated sAust2ooo million bet in illegal casinos and ‘SP‘ (starting price) betting on races at a cost of |Austsoo million in lost taxes.

According to the “Daily Mirror,” official figures to be released in the state Parliament soon show that New South Wales’ gambling turnover was up ?Aust34 million this year and that legal gambling turnover is more than double that of the nearest rival, Victoria.

The biggest revenue earner is the T.A.B. whose turnover this year is a record sAustl4Bo million, up 10 per cent on last year, caused by a number of

factors including later closing times, all-up betting — recycling winnings on successive races until either all horses win or the money is lost — and better promotion of race meetings. In spite of the big rise in T.A.B. turnover, the biggest move has come from the Government controlled Lotto whose gross turnover has risen 14 per cent to ?Aust29l million mainly through the introduction of twice-weekly draws. Like Lotto, poker machine turnover has also increased sharply, according to the “Mirror,” although it did not give figures. It said the growth of gambling in New South Wales was best illustrated by the T.A.B. which since its inception in 1964 had turned over nearly sAustl3,ooo million.

Compared with the the sAustl4Bo million bet this year, in its first full year 20 years ago it turned over sAust6o million.