EASY MONEY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 117, 19 May 1937, Page 19

EASY MONEY

BETTING TAXATION

GROWTH IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA

(From "The Post's" Representative). SYDNEY, May 7. From an estimated total of learly 40,000,000 bets and a bookmakers' turnover of £7.500,000, the South Australian Government will find revenue amounting to , £200,000 added to its Treasury by June 30, largely owing to the popularity of licensed betting shops which operate on interstate as well as South Australian races. The average works out at 80 bets per head per year. Taxation on this huge legalised gambling business, with the totalisator tax added, is expected to yield about £200,000 for the year. An astonishing fact is that the State where until December, 1933, the call of bookmakers was unheard, has now exploited the gambling instincts of the community to such an extent that balancing the Budget is. dependent on returns from this highly-productive source of revenue. Yet no one except the Cabinet Ministers seem entirely, satisfied with the betting legislation. The Football League blames the ■ betting .shops for the dwindling attendances at its fixtures. Racing clubs, although they receive a proportion.of tne proceeds of taxation on the bookmakers' turnover, say they will never, have satisfactory attendances at their meetings while the shops are open on raThe importance of the betting shops as a source of State revenue is becoming increasingly apparent, and it is evident that the Government will be reluctant to curtail their operations. On top of the increase of 33 per cent, in the volume of betting in 1935-36, there will be a further increase in the present financial year of at least 25 per CeThe number of threepenny betting tickets (for bets above 10s) purchased by bookmakers is increasing at a Easter rate- than the number of halfpenny tickets, indicating that punters are as a result of returning prosperity, increasing the size of their individual bets. With the betting ticket tax the Government is on a sure winner, ana it probably sets a world record for easy money taxation. It has involved the Government in no increased cost ot administration, except the employment of one extra female clerk at the Stamp Duties Office. * Yet the official activities of this one humble servant are now bringing in £100,000 a year to the Treasury. Apart from the cost oi her salary, the. proceeds of the sale 'of stamped betting tickets are clear profit to the State, . The growth in South Australian betting since its legislation is shown in the appended table:—

.;■ ■■ 1931-33. 1935-36. . 193b_-d(. Turnover .. 4.70M00 G,10(T,000 7,5Oa".0O0 ..° f. 22,000,000 30,000,000 33,000,000 N'et gam lo venue *.*.'.■ 153,000 ' 163,000 200,000