GAMING LAW

Evening Star, Issue 18736, 11 September 1924, Page 10

GAMING LAW

THE GOVERNMENT BILL. [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, September 10. Tho Gaming Amendment Bill, in charge of the Hon. R. F. Bollard, is on the same lines aa tho hotly-contested measure of last session, excepting for the disappearance of the clause which empowered the arrest without warrant of undesirables removed from a racecourse and their summary conviction, with a maximum fine of £SO or two months’ imprisonment. The present Bill, as in the case of last year’s Bill (which failed to pass), provides that the Minister of Internal Affairs may grant totalisator licenses as follows, in addition to those authorised by the Gaming Act, 1914: —(a) Not more than twelve licenses to racing clubs to use the totalisator on one day; (b) not more than nineteen licenses to trotting clubs to uso the totalisator on one day. Provision is made that if a racing club changes its constitution so as to become either a trotting or a hunt club it may continue to be deemed a racing club for tho purposes of totalisator permits, though it shall not receive a greater number of permits than that to which it is entitled under its new constitution. _ Authority is given to refund totalisator investments in respect of horses which have withdrawn from a race before the totalisator closes. The Bill also limits the use of the totalisator in one day to eight races, a breach of this section rendering every officer of the offending club liable m a fine of £SO if he was a consenting party. The assets of clubs dissolved are to be distributed for public or charitable purposes approved by the Minister. The final clause empowers the appointment of one or more totalisator inspectors, with full rights of entry to race meetings and inspection of totalisator machines.