Overseas Lottery Winners

Northern Advocate, 13 March 1947, Page 6

Overseas Lottery Winners

The desire for state lotteries:. Correspondence which has appeared in the Press since the warrant for the commission was issued suggests the possibility that some suggestions will be made for the inauguration of a state lottery in New Zealand. It is not known what reasons will be assigned if such a proposal is brought forward. But it is proper that the churches should express in advance their earnest opposition to any such proposal. “It is common knowledge that thos<s who are declared winners of prizes in these overseas lotteries may hand thenwinning tickets to a bank for collection,” Dr Mazengarb said. “As the state is now the sole owner of nearly the whole of the shares in the Bank of New Zealand, it is thereby fixed with knowledge of transactions which it purports to prohibit under a penalty of £lO. “It is also freely stated that arrangements were made by the Government with a visitor authorised to act on behalf of an Australian lottery that the New Zealand collections should be retained here and that the prizes won by persons in this Dominion should he paid out cf those collections.

“The churches consider that an end should be put to this insincerity ol purpose on the part of the state. “How can the state expect a general standard of respect for its general laws if some of its officers connive at these breaches of its gaming laws?” Under the heading for the reduction of gambling,” the statement suggests: (1) Refusal of further facilities.

(2) A frontal attack on illegal bet ting.

(3) Withdrawal of telephone facilities from the illegal association. (4) Disconnection of bookmakers' telephones. (5) The prohibition of such broadcasting and other publicity as is likely to increase gambling. (6) Elimination of taxation on the totalisator and of racing dividends. “One of the special reasons why off-the-course betting has continued to flourish since the introduction of the totalisator is the fact that the bookmaker, in laying tote odds, obtains a flying advantage over thd tote by reason of the fact that the money staked with him is free from totalisator tax,’ Dr Mazengarb added. “The elimination of this tax would make it less profitable fer the bookmaker to offer totalisator odds, and therefore be less able to employ touts and agents at a commission of 1/6 in the £.”

(7) Enforcement cf the law against lotteries.

“Much has been heard during the early sittings of the commission about

the efforts made by both the Racing Conference and the Trotting Association to keep the sport clean and free from undesirable persons,” Dr Mazengarb concluded. “It would hardly be appropriate fer the churches to give anything in the nature of a certificate cf good character.

“But it is desirable to record that from all that has been said and done by the racing and trotting authorities, the churches are convinced of the real and earnest desire of those bodies, and ol the success of their efforts in those respects. “Such efforts, however, would not have been necessary if it were not for the element of betting that has entered into horse racing on such a large scale and has at times threatened, and may even yet threaten, to destroy it.

“It may likewise be said that apart from the fact that they are acting outside the law, bookmakers must be honest and honourable in their dealings with bettors, as otherwise they could not continue in business. “The fact remains, however, that they are law-breakers, and from the point of view ol' the churches, their conduct is to be condemned, because they are making their living out of what the churches regard as the vice of gambling. “No suggestion has been made that restrictions should be imposed to repress private gambling between individuals. That is neither practicable nor desirable, and it has not been the policy of English law to impose such restrictions. Gambling among private individuals is a question for the individual conscience, which is a matter for education by the church and not domination by the state. “The churches would have the com mission know that they are now fully alive to the deleterious effects of gambling upon the agencies of government, apart altogether from its effects upon individual character. “The churches will do their part by leaching and by personal influence to lessen the evil.

“They also earnestly hope that, following upon the report which this commission will make to the Governor General, the churches and departments of state may be able to cooperate to achieve the des/red end and rid this Dominion of the social menace which they believe now exists.”