LOTTERY BUSINESS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21992, 29 June 1933, Page 12

LOTTERY BUSINESS

METHODS'IN AUSTRALIA. During his visit to Australia as assistant manager of the New Zealand Association football team Mr Neil M'Arthur, of Auckland,* made, >in a purely private capacity, aft investigatlbn of the conduct of the State lotteries in New South Wales and Queensland. Referring to the subject on his return to Auckland on Monday morning, Mr M'Arthur s-aid he had been particularly interested in the drawing of the lotteries, because his firm had conducted thewirteipal -art unions drawn in New Zealand in the last few years. He found that the drawing of the lotteries in the two Commonwealth States varied at each place. In New Zealand the art unions were drawn on what was known as the " bouquet" system. There were • five barrels, from each of which a separate numeral was drawn, and, the complete number was so -made* up. Tn the New South'Wales lottery draws 100,000 marbles were placed into a huge trough, which was sealed by the representative of the Auditor-general. The marbles were then drawn by a mechanical hand, which could be rotated at will amongst the mass of marbles. Tlw pressing of a spring at the end of the arm secured a marble, and when the arm was withdrawn the marble was automatically dropped into a cup. From this it was extracted by a policeman, and then handed to a representative of the Audi-tor-general's Department. The complete draw was made before the names of the lucky ticket holders were, announced. Under the Queensland system' the drawing was made by means of a rotary disc machine containing a series of rotating numerals. As each disc individually came to rest the number was revealed. Both the Queensland and New South Wales sweeps went to the draw fully subscribed to the extent of 100,000 tickets. While the Sydney concern had only one central office for the issue of tickets, in, Queensland books of tickets were issued to agents. These were recalled about a week before the draw in the case of outlying districts, and at 'shorter notice in the cities. All tickets sold were checked, and there was no possibility of illegal practices in either of the State lotteries. ,