Record Tote Betting On Bookmakers' Holiday

Northern Advocate, 12 January 1948, Page 4

Record Tote Betting On Bookmakers' Holiday

AUCKLAND, Mon. (Sp.)—Totalisator figures for five of the six meetings held in New Zealand on Saturday showed phenomenal increases. Saturday marked the start of the self-imposed “bookmakers’ holiday.” An advance of £75,483/10/- in investments is attributed in racing circles almost entirely to this suddent cessation of illegal off-course betting.

The turnover for nil meetings was £248.713, compared with £173,229/10/:it the same fixtures last year. Record turnovers were experienced at Cambridge (1947 figures in parentheses i £41,444 (.£33,309); Thames, £08.729/10/- (£44,988); Greymmilh. £23,170 (£13.835); Timaru, £55,833 (£38,789); Pahiatua, £52.099 (£23,510). Records were established at all these meetings.

placed their bets through an agent on the course. There was a swing towards the higher units of betting, and bets of £3 constituted 25 per cent of the total at Pnhiatua. There were far fewer bookmakers than usual operating in Auckland, and with the Auckland office of the Dominion Sportsmen’s Association closed, those who continued in business found difficulty in obtaining dividends and other necessary results. A report from Christchurch last night stated that all bookmakers in that city were operating as usual.

It is apparent that people who would normally bet with bookmakers either attended the meetings themselves or