OFF COURSE BETTING

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 263, 3 August 1936, Page 13

OFF COURSE BETTING

Believed to Have Reached £8,000,000 Mark EFFECT ON RACING CLUBS By Telegraph—Press Association, Gisborne, August 2. At. a representative meeting of owners, breeders and trainers of Poverty Bay held on Saturday, the aims and objects of the New Zealand Association in course of formation were approved. A strong committee was appointed, and it was decided to link up with the northern (Auckland) branch. Mr, E. Sutherland, Auckland, explained the objects and progress of the movement, showing the association to be on side with the racing clubs and the conference. He intimated that there was sound reason to believe that off the course betting to-day reached the £8,000,000 mark. Under the present percentage conditions, that £8,000,000, if it were sent through the legal channels of the totalisator, would mean the racing clubs would be a.t least £403,000 better off a year, and as there were about 334 days of racing and trotting, each day's stake money could be enhanced by about £1470. . There were two ways to offset illegal betting off the course—cither to legalise off the course betting with an improvement on the South Australian betting shop system, or to give the racing clubs some method of competition against illegal operations. Mr. Sutherland sn’d he thought the second alternative would be the more effective. Every racing club office jn Now Zealand could be made a receiving depot for 'totalisator investments rind provision should also be made for dotible betting on the tracks. He urged that off the course betting so far a.q it affected racing and the S+nte should be taken up by the Racing Conference and the Government,