BIG DROP IN 12 YEARS

Southland Times, Issue 23229, 18 June 1937, Page 11

BIG DROP IN 12 YEARS

The Totalizator At Randwick

AN ALARMING FALL IN INVESTMENTS

Ten to 15 years ago over £1,000,000 was a regular sum to go through the totalizator at Randwick. . Today the figures have dropped considerably, and Hie popularity the wagering machine once enjoyed has waned almost alarmingly. , Admitting that Randwick attendances, as a rule, are below those of a few years ago, the decrease in totalizator speculation is even more pronounced says Pilot in The Sydney Referee. Attempts have been made to increase the popularity of machine betting, but that result has not been achieved.

Bookmakers are not as numerous now in the paddock as at various times in the past, and perhaps the inclination to bet is not as great as up to 10 or 11 years ago. Eight years in succession the £1,000,000 mark was passed at Randwick, the total once getting up to over £1,500,000. The Australian Jockey Club used Randwick for Warwick Farm meetings for about 20 months, but I am not computing totalizator investments credited the latter club. My figures are for the days on which the Australian Jockey Club, Tattersall’s Club, and City Tattersall’s raced, and they are as follow:

This season’s turnover will be less than that of 1935-36.

Days Turnover £ s d 1917-18 19 500,152 17 6 1918-19 19 692,245 15 0 1919-20 20 1,130,892 0 0 1920-21 21 1,280,861 15 0 1921-22 20 1,261,633 15 0 1922-23 21 1,374,033 15 0 1923-24 20 1,544,674 15 0 1924-25 20 1,354,825 5 0 1925-26 21 1,198,166 0 0 1926-27 21 1,129,204 0 0 1927-28 21 979,846 15 0 1928-29 21 968,360 5 0 1929-30 21 932,160 10 0 1930-31 21 740,221 10 0 1931-32 22 771,716 0 0 1932-33 20 580,316 10 0 1933-34 21 670,759 15 0 1934-35 22 753,474 10 0 1935-36 20 689,909 10 0