Betting at Egypt’s Races

Manawatu Times, Volume 67, Issue 94, 22 April 1942, Page 5

Betting at Egypt’s Races

(N.Z.E.F. Official News Service.) CAIRO, Feb. 14. New Zealanders wh o nave attendeu race meetings in Egypt have been greatly interested in tne novel betting systems. Making xor o6tu cheapness and variety for tne investor, tnese appealing gambling devices cater lor an classes ox patrons. Lowest bet is two shillings, and dividends are paid on that oasis, ropuiar bet is xour sninings. On the other nand oets can oe made on the totaiisator up to Pj.

Betting is win and place on the main tote, but. besides tnere are sucu varieties as twin totes, doubles and parous (tne picking of winners in a series Oj. races j. All these are run separately. First is the pan niutuei, vvhicn *is tne counterpart ox the usual win and place machine. Then there is tne twin tote, the double tote and the paroiis. The result is that no totaiisator affects the pay-out of another, dividends being computed on the basis of tickets invested on each macnine. On tne pan mutuei dividends are generally rather modest, seldom there being anything more tnan ten to one for a win and five to one for a place, tho reason being the usually small fields. In no case is the sum returned on a winning ticket less than that invested. The lucky investor who strikes a win on tne twin, double or paroiis machine is in most cases assured of a handsome return. Bookmakers are not allowed on the courses.

For investors who do not attend the course there is a pari mutuei establishment in the city, bituated at the corner of two back streets in the business area, this public totaiisator on a race day is the scene of a milling throng of people of all nationalities, noisily talking and pushing and peering whenever the results are chalked up. From, above it is a mass of waving red tarboushes. For a car to attempt to pick its way through this jostling crowd is almost hopeless, although some fairly brave drivers successfully manage it.

Prices paid in the city correspond | with those returned at the course. Conversely the number of tickets takeA on each horse in the city is telephoned through to the course and affects the dividend there. This number is also chalked up at the course a few minutes prior to the closing down of the totaiisator for the info.rmaltion of investors.