SPORTING

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVIII, Issue 70, 24 March 1914, Page 2

SPORTING

THE TOTALISATOR CASE

LAAV'S STRINGENT PROVISIONS.

Commenting editorially to the Nelson totalisator case the Lyttelton Times says:— The totalisator case heard in Nelson the other day should serve to remind the officials of racing clubs and the managers of betting machines thatiihe laws affecting them-; contain stringent provisions. We doubjt if one out of every thousand race-goers realises how drastic the legislation is, and we are quite sure that very =feW of-'the racing clubs comply with its requirements. In the Nelson case it is evident that the authorities, anxious <to take the money of tardy investors, kept the machine open so long that investments had to be registered after the appointed time for starting >the race. This, j it must be admitted, is a very common offence-'from., .which the totalisators, even in metropolitan courses, are not free. The management of the totalisator ait Riccarton is far from perfect, but the authorities are exemplary in ,| closing the windows at the advertised j time, yet even at Riccarton trouble has been caused before to-day by the registration of investments after the starting of a race. There is a difficulty, perhaps, in the popular interpretation of the word "registered" and tlie prevailing idea is that provided the sale of tickets ceases at the proper time, the internal operations of the machine are no concern of the law, but sub-section 2 of section 32 of the Act of 1908 is very positive: "It shall riot be luwful for any member, officer, agent, or servant of any racing club to register on the totalisator after the time notified by such club for the starting of any race any moneys received for investment in respect of \that race, or to take into account in the calculation or payment of .any dividend any investment which has not?been .publicly registered on the totalisator in accbrdance with this section." Clubs endeavor to protect themselves by closing the totalisator a few minutes before the advertised time of starting each race; and in the case of Riccarton, whei'e hundreds of 1 pounds of investments are often shut out by this practice, the spirit -of the law at leaa(t is well observed, but the law plainly contemplates that the total investments on all the horses and the grand total on therace,should be shown publicly before the race actual-* ly starts, and ivery few clubs indeed can claim to comply with the legislation to this extent.: The Auckland Racing Club, we understand, has got over the difficulty by installing an appliance for the automatic registration of investments, but' clubs (that cannot a;fford' :such a; luxury must simply make the best of the position by closing promptly, and by teaching the gambling public to make their investments early, even if the instruction has to be paid for hi'disappqihtmerit on one side,' and- reduced percentages' on the other.

LICENSING BOOKMAKERS

[Press Association.]

BERLIN, March 22. An Imperial Bill .has been introduced to allow betting on horse-racing only, and the licensing of bookmakers operating in places approved by the police.; A tax will be levied on book bets,-'"-as-, is the, case with the totalisator, which- will;ooritihne to be authorised. .