PERMANENT RACING CONTROL BOARD IS SUGGESTED

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 March 1947, Page 2

PERMANENT RACING CONTROL BOARD IS SUGGESTED

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, March VA permanent racing control board (a chairman and member appointed by the Government, and one member each from the Racing and Trotting Conferences) to control all betting facilities by means of the totalisator, doubles totalisator and licensed bookmakers, and to arrange legal betting on any race meetings in New Zealand was advocated by Mr O. K. Steele, an independent witness, before the Royal Commission on Gaming today. Mr Steele favoured licensing bookmakers for off-course betting only, and special off-course officers to receive bets for the totalisator. Double, charts should be approved by the board, and all bookmakers should pay starting price odds. Grandstand and other accommodation, meals and food and bars on courses should be improved. He advocated standard colours up to 32 single colours or combinations, which he outlined, to enable, everyone to follow a race without difficulty as a particular colour or combination would always go with the same number. This would also add considerably to the picturesque beauty of a race. J , Mr G. E. Barker, representing the New Zealand Federation of Young People’s Clubs, said his organisation felt that as off-course gambling was extensive, a progressive outlook was necessary to meet the situation. The law would not stop off-course betting, but only public reaction. Off-course betting for transmission to the totalisator did not appear practicable People liked to bet from where they were, or close by, so legalising bookmakers seemed a practical way that would not prevent the setting up of totalisator agencies.