BETTING AND HUMAN NATURE:

Grey River Argus, 19 February 1949, Page 6

BETTING AND HUMAN NATURE:

Can They Be Separated?

This country has tried for 40 years to prohibit betting away from the course on horse races. As everyone knows, the only effect of making offcourse betting illegal has been to produce an almost unbelievable network of illegal bookmakers and their agents. It is a fundamental human characteristic to bet on a horse race and those who cannot attend the course have always found a means of backing their fancies elsewhere. The Racing and Trotting Conferences, on the premise that off-course betting will not be eliminated by making it illegal, evolve a Scheme of legalised off-co;.trse betting through local agencies of the Totalisator. The Scheme has many advantages, not the least of which will be the elimination of the grave social danger of otherwise lawabiding citizens breaking the law and seeing nothing wrong in doing so. A.fter' due deliberation the Scheme has been recommended to the Government by the Royal Commission on Gaming and Racing and in consequence you are asked to vote on the issue cn March 9th. next. A vote “FOR THE' PROPOSAL,” will be a vote for law and order. I Issued by authority N.Z. Racing and Trotting Conferences], • —4