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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 20 June 1911, Page 4

THE recently cabled statistics of the Pari MuLutel in France, in other words, the totalisator race betting, show that last year Mini of nearly £15.000,000 was nominally passed l through the machine. representing on paper 7® 6d a bead. of the population. But the per capita calculation l is misleading, because n single sovereign is rein vested (many times. Henep the actual sum' betted, if ascertainable, would be about half the amount gross aggregate. In New i Zealand the official figures, generalising in I (.be same way, show that in 1909-10 "the j total amount invested by the public" iva,s £2.030,426, or at the nominal rate of over £2 a head 1 . But no one knowing how the totalisator amounts aire computed supposes' that sum or cavitation was really "invested." The one thing certain as that commission- was deducted from that sum, which should prove to the gambler that the ultimate fate of every invested pound is to be eaten away in commissions, if only the process of investment be kept lip long enough. But tbo gambling community are insensible to this steady and ceaseless 'erosion of their pounds, and hence -totalisator figures keep on increasing. In France, as in some other countries, they turn this gambling insensibility to good purpose by commandeering for charity or the Treasury a p-roportion of the amount deducted! from each .pound -handled'. The French tax in the year mentioned yielded roundly £300,000, while in New Zealand it returns nearly £30,000, and will i\© UTOiie jiow ,t.hat the tax J?uis increased from Hto per cent. But whether the (game- is nationally worth the candle is the question. Even if the totalisator facilitates fair betting, it certainly encourages gambling as much as it encourages l horse racing. There are many race clubs in New Zealand and some in Australia, which would have died of financial decay long ago had the totalisator not boon there to keep them alive and' flourishing. On this accownt the use of the miaichin.e has .recently been (sharply J restricted in this Dominion, as it must be wherever it is permitted, unless it is considered advisable to irive facility as well -as liberty in gambling.