GAMING BILL

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 60, 8 September 1934, Page 10

GAMING BILL

TASSED BY COUNCIL

LARGE MAJORITY

By an overwhelming majority, the Legislative Council last night passed without amendment the Hon. E. E. Davis's Gaming Amendment Bill, providing for the establishment of double totalisators on the racecourse and the publication of dividends. Speaking on the clause relating to the double totalisator, the Hon. L. M. Isitt said that the double totalisator was not patronised by the wealthy man but by the poor man, who was lured by the illusion of great reward. The chances of winning were most remote, and the racing clubs, by setting up a double totalisator, were aggravating the huge amount of harm done by gambling. If it was an evil for the bookmaker to run doubles, surely it was no less an evil because they were run by racing clubs. The real purpose of; the Bill was p. device to gain for the clubs the ill-gotten gains made by the bookmaker. The additional money would enable the Racing Conference to revive or resurrect small clubs which could not be kept going, and surely the increase in the number of clubs was an evil. If he had to choose between the money going to the racing clubs or the bookmaker, he would stand for it going to the bookmaker. It was to be hoped that the Council would see the evil the Bill would create, especially among the working men. The Hon. T. Blood worth said that if the bookmaker was eliminated the betting wQuld be confined to- the racecourse, and there would be less temptation to the working man who could not always afford to attend the races. At the present time there was a vast amount of betting being carried on outside the racecourse, and any measure which would decrease it was beneficial to the community. Mr. Isitt should recognise that at the present time the ''betting .industry" was separate from the "racing industry,'/ and it would be decreased by the provisions of the Bill. The clause was carried by 19 votes to 2, the dissentiets being Mr.. Isitt and Sir James, Allen. Speaking on the clause relating to the publication of dividends, Mr. Isitt said that the advertising of dividends would increase the amount of gambling and help to spread the evil. Mr. Bloodworth said thai those who made bets already had .facilities for finding out what dividends were paid. It would be a different matter if the Press was prohibited from publishing racing news, but at the present time the newspapers vaguely indicated the size of the dividend. The public were entitled to the exact -information. The Hon. J. McLeod said that the racing clubs were suffering today from lack of finance, and by the introduction of the double totalisator their revenue would be increased. The Bill was a business proposition as far as the clubs were concerned, and if it was passed racing would regain its popularity. The public were entitled to any information of happenings in the Dominion. Mr. Isitt said that the newspapers went into every quarter,in the Dominion, and the publication of dividends would stir people up to increased gambling. The clause was upheld by 18 votes to 3, the opponents being Sir James Allen, Mr. Isitt, and the Hon. D. Buddo. The Bill was Tead a third time and passed. .