GAMING BILL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27211, 14 October 1949, Page 6

GAMING BILL

LATE START ON SECOND READING MINISTER OPENS DEBATE PA WELLINGTON, Oct. 13. It was not until proceedings in the House of Representatives went off the air that the second reading debate was begun on the Gaming Amendment Bill to-night.

The Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr Parry, moving the second'reading, said that the referendum had shown by a majority of two to one that the people favoured a system.of off-course betting and there was no other thing for the Government to do but to bring down appropriate legislation. Off-course betting was the key to the Racing Commission’s findings, but it was not know how much the totalisator figency scheme would cost, but in order to put the scheme into operation, the Bill gave the Minister of Finance authority to advance the necessary funds for a totalisator agency board. It was only, by trial and error that the requirements of the scheme could be determined.

Mr Parry said he could not vouch for the . complete success of the scheme, nor could he estimate what it would cost to implement. The scheme was an attempt to deal with the situation at a very late stage in the game, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Holland, said. He had been advised by competent people that if the off-course betting scheme provided for in the Bill was properly conducted and operated, the amount of gambling might easily be reduced. It had been known for a long time that there had been a growing amount of unlawful betting in New Zealand, and the public had expressed the opinion that it should be stopped. Lawful.and unlawful betting was estimated to amount to about £50,000,000 a year. It appeared that the law was not strong enough to stop unlawful betting. Parliament ‘ could not be blind to the decision of the people at the referendum, when two out of every three voted for some undefined scheme of off-course betting. The question was a non-party one. but the responsibility to introduce the Bill - rested with the Government. The Opposition had considered the Bill and was in favour of its being passed as at present drafted. The Bill made a valuable safeguard in that the scheme to be submitted by the Racing and Trotting Conferences had to be approved by the Minister of Internal Affairs. The debate was interrupted by the adjournment at midnight until 10.30 to-morrow.