BOOKMAKER V. TOTALISATOR.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 77, 24 December 1907, Page 9

BOOKMAKER V. TOTALISATOR.

Sir,—Your Masterton 'oprrespondtiit' l k very oae-sided when lie say's'-.(pebeniber : - : l9J|

bookmakers, hayo.given. ,tote .odds." iHo gl'i'otilid',b'a.4ortaini, becaiifce the chances are against this course, as bookmakers Would ;uot bo foolish.,cuoughi._to. attempt to comjpeto with tho machine in regard to the prices ;of outsiders, ,:.,B/ickers, of horses want.favou- • jrites all tKwWrU; over;-, aha tho* tookmakor always risks sonao of his own mouoy against thcnij hence the backer will always get a bettor : prics^n : thTi'fa.v6urito from tho v b'ookAiakor than from the. machine. Hero is an illustration:,The,,bookmaker lays 100 to 50 horso No. r,"loij 'to 30' fio'rs'o No. 2, 100 to 25 horse No. 3, and; say; ho lays 50 against i tho mother horsps; -at..various, prices.- to net ! hiin £'25. Tho bookmaker in above race loses'-on "liorab No. 1, comes out even on No. |2, and-{»winsw&n;. allv the; ~others, -with tho Ichancejof 'a "skinner''—thpfi.ij,..nothing to Ipay out on the winnor. The backers of No. 1 'and 2 , rc&"eifo , "'&3: arid £4 dividend from'' tho ;bookilYitkcr, : ";i\'Jiile'. they.' would' be .'lucky to [get £2 or £3 on tho machine, und backers of 1 horses are too keen to,lose any advantago in {odds; they cannot afford it-. It is also the 'caso in nearly' every :raco that 'owners and loiifs •,''.in the know," got from the ' book•'makor,'say, 2 or' 3 to 1 about a horso t|iat Icloses in "the" betting'-'at''£ven niort'ey or"af .shorter am, etc.-, ■■■' » : .LlsxpermricQ ; ._has' .not. .;shown 'in-..the-'Domi— . mipivvtliat thq: bookmaker. pays more,,liberal! io'itds than '.tlie" r machinc.' : ' lhe reverse isViho.', 'ea'Sij,','' It' litis'V. be'borne in mind that tho' It'otalisator 5 pays twb dividendsthe bookma-r ;k'er,'unless;hMllegally'wagcrsiit. "tote.odds,",■or* indulgesp-in-% the.,vrare ..practice . s of placo•bptting : qt, vci:y,.,shor,t odds,, only. pays,,, for, 'first''placo.j ! I ..j.-! '•.