THE GAMING BILL

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2788, 11 October 1910, Page 5

THE GAMING BILL

The Gaming Amendment Bill has been intaoduced in Parliament. It provides that every person who frequents, loiters, or is in any street for the purpose of betting is guilty of an offence and is liable to a fine of not less than and not more than islOO for a first offence, and to imprisonment for a period not exceeding three months for a second or subsequent offence.

Section 34 of the existing law, providing for the licensing of bookmakers is repealed by clause 4. A duty is cast upon racing clubs authorised to use the totalisator to exercise all reasonable and lawful means of preventing bookmakers, from plying their calling on racecourses, and the Minister is empowered to revoke the license of any club that has wilfully or negligently failed to comply with the provisions cf the section, and shall refuse to issue any further license in respect of such club for one year after the date of revocation. The number of licenses to use the totalisator after 31st July, 1911, is restricted to 22 in the case of trotting clubs and to 100 in the case of all other racing clubs. The aggregate number of days on which the totalisator is to be authorised to be usad in any year after July 31 next is limited to (a) fifty days in the case of all trotting clubs, and (b) to 190 days in the case of all racing clubs.

Investments on the totalisator are strictly limited to cash and the bill makes it illegal for any person under 21 years of age to invest on the totalisator or make a bet with any other person.