ILLEGAL GAMING IN DOMINION

Southland Times, Issue 25564, 6 January 1945, Page 4

ILLEGAL GAMING IN DOMINION

SUM OF £12,310 IN FINES LAST YEAR (P.A.) WELLINGTON, January 5. Fines totalling £12,310 were imposed during 1944 for breaches of the Gaming Act, of which £11,780 represented penalties for bookmaking. Police activity was well distributed. Hardly any town of a size at least large enough to warrant the maintenance of a bookmaker or agent went unattended. In all, 243 persons were convicted and fined for bookmaking or conducting, using, or assisting in managing common gaming houses. In addition, two were admitted to probation, two gaoled, two acquitted, one placed on a surety of good behaviour, one convicted to be called up for sentence and one convicted for exhibiting doubles charts. Six persons were fined for betting with bookmakers. For being found in common gaming houses, 169 persons were fined amounts ranging from £1 to £5. MONTHLY “REVENUE” The total gaming prosecutions in 1944 were approximately 412. For two months of 1944, October and November, when big meetings were held at Trentham and Riccarton, the fines exceeded £2OOO. In January, August, September and December the monthly “revenue” was more than £lOOO. One operator was fined £250 and one £2OO, two £l5O, 30 £lOO, one £BO, 14 £75, one £7O, 10 £6O and 62 £5O. Wellington headed the list of major gaming prosecutions with 61. Auckland was next with 53. Others were: Christchurch, 34; Wanganui, 12; Palmerston North, Whangarei and Paeroa, each seven; Patea and Dunedin, each six; Dannevirke and Napier, each five; New Plymouth, Gore and Otahuhu, each four. There were six towns with three prosecutions, seven with two and 13 with one. For those merely “found in common gaming houses” Auckland headed the list with 121. Wellington was next with 36.