BOOKMAKING IN AUCKLAND.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12745, 24 April 1912, Page 2

BOOKMAKING IN AUCKLAND.

A LUCRATIVE BUSINESS

A Pi-ess Association message from Auclcland states : ; — While the result of last week's police raid on four city betting shops serves to show that the bookmaker still thrives despite the provisions of the Gaming Act of il9lo, which aimed at his total extinctioli, it quite failed to indicate thfe foil extent to which illegal betting g6es on in Auckland. While the gaming-house proprietors convicted were well-known as layers of the odds they did not by any means represent the biggest bookmakers at present operating in this city. There are quite .fifty such gentry carrying on a lucrative bookmaking business in aiid about Queen street, arid there are at least half a dbfcen who probably each have a larger clientele than all tho^e arrested last weelc put together. Certain it is that if the law's -intention is rehll.V to" be -•carried out the police must follow the recent raid up with vigorous and systematic .action. Spasmodic effort is useless; To illustrate how small -has been the moral effect of the prosecutions just * "completed, an ordinary citizen had .orily -to keep his eyes and ears * ofien. Iu Queen street yesterday morning in certain saloons well-known members of what' used to be called "the ring" ''were opfenly 'telephoning their clients concerning their fan-ties for Epsdriv or Treiithrfril'"at both of which places '. rafting was in prepress. That certain semipublic places are similarly 'frequented and* used' is '■ a very -Well-known fact. Itis ' indisputable that a punter can today in Auckland h^ve his ' little bet in •Shillings or pounds 1 without the slightest trouble, and that there is no more difficulty iii betting with a 'bookmaker now than there was previous to his ostensible banishment in 1910. If the principals are riot always obtainable, then their agents are.