BETS ON HORSES.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 June 1924, Page 4

BETS ON HORSES.

MAKING UP OF TICKETS.

THE TRANSACTION ILLEGAL. TICKET-HOLDER NEED NOT PAY.

By Telegraph.-—Press Assoclat’on. Napier, Last Night. An appeal case of some interest w«a heard at the Supreme Court before Mr. Justice MacGregor, when J. W- Barrie appealed against the decision of the magistrate in favour of J. M. Brown in a claim to recover £33 13s Gd. Barrie gave Brown £5 to put on Ore Ore in the Grand National Hurdle®. The horse was placed second and paid £4 14s, and respondent did not han* over the money. Subsequently respondent agreed to put £lO of the Ore Ore dividend on Nicomar in the Hunt Cup at Waikato, and Nicomar paid £lO odd. To effect a settlement appellant agreed to accept the Ore Ore dividend and £lO which appellant put on Muraahi at Wellington for Brown, but Brown did not pay up. The defence held that the transaction was illegal under section 53 of the Gaming Act. Mr. Mason (for appellant) said that if the magistrate’s ruling was upheld the people who could not afford £1 could not legally bet, as they would be liable to a penalty if they made up a ticket with others.

His Honour: That is so. A person who cannot afford to bet should not go to races. His Honour upheld the magistrate’s decision. It was quite clear the money claimed was won on the totalisator for respondent and should have been paid over, but the transaction was an illegal one under section 53, and both parties contravened the statute. Maybe the Act would cause inconvenience, but people so placed would have to give up betting.