Off-Course Bets, But No Bookmakers

Northern Advocate, 7 January 1948, Page 5

Off-Course Bets, But No Bookmakers

WELLINGTON, Wed. (Sp.)—The licensing, in any form, of I bookmakers is strongly opposed i>y the Royal Commission on | Gaming and Racing, which, however, urges catering for oft-course j betting through the totalisator. It recommends that the Racing and 1 rotting Conferences'be given authority to establish for this purpose a scheme on the lines jof the proposals they placed before the commission. . ? These recommendations are made in the commission s report, i which runs to approximately 54,000 words, and which has been released by the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr Parry). The report he said, had not been considered by the Government. but would be presented to the next session of Parliament Members of the commission were Mr Justice Finlay, Mr W. ti. | Freeman, S.M., and Mr J. W. Heenan, Under-Secretary for internal ! Affairs. . , . . nUiQP maim l vpmmmendations by the commission aie.

I (1) The suppression of illegal off--1 course betting by intensified and susj tained police action, supplemented and ! reinforced by such measures as the 1 denial of telephones for illegal pur- | poses and the strengthening of race course inspectors’ staffs. If all other 1 means fail it may be necessary to have recourse to the expedient adopted in i analogous circumstances under the ! Licensing Act. 1908. and other acts. I whereby the prosecution is relieved | of the normal onus of proof of guilt. ; (2) Licences should be issued for i the establishment of a doubles totali- | sator at all meetings at which the I totalisator is operated. and doubles | betting through medium of the totalisator off-course system should be made available to all who desire to bet in that way ! (3) Racing clubs should once more, j be authorised to receive totalisator inI vestments by telegram or letter, irres- | pective of the adoption of the recom- | mendation for legalised off-course betting. ! (4) While it would be impracticable i to insist on ail clubs changing over j to the 5/- betting unit, clubs should always have in mind their obligation j to meet reasonable public demands for ! further totalisator facilities. The 5/- ! unit might well be given a fresh trial I on an experimental scale by some of

the major clubs through medium of a separate manual totalisator. (5) The act should be amended to permit of newspaper tipping, but care should be taken to avoid’the possibility of the individual advertising tipster ever again emerging. Anything in the nature of tipping over the broadcast system should be specifically prohibited. (6) The publication of dividends should be permitted, the commission feeling that this would operate in some measure to divorce bettors from the illegal bookmakers (7) Broadcasting should be limited to the running description of races, order of favouritism, dividends paid by placed horses in races already run, the names of horses starting in the next succeeding race with the riders and the weights to be carricid. (8) A racing advisory board should be established, to consist of a representative of the Racing Conference, a representative of the Trotting Conference, one member of the public and an independent chairman appointed by the Minister. It would be the function of the board to advise the Minister on all topics relating to racing in both its forms. (9) The rules of the Trotting Conference with respect to the bracketing of horses should be adopted by the Racing conference.