BOOKMAKERS AGAIN

Taranaki Daily News, 24 June 1935, Page 12

BOOKMAKERS AGAIN

PROBLEM FOR CONFERENCE. ; J EARLIER EFFORTS RECALLED. (By, “Limited.”) The proposal favouring the licensing of bookmakers will come up for discussion at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Racing Conference next month and is likely to cause much more interest than on the last occasion the proposal was presented. ' In 1932 Mr. W. H. Gaisford for th,e Woodville Club moved "that subject to provision being made for the taxation of all bookmakers’ bets made either on or off a racecourse, and for the reasonable share' of such taxation to racing clubs, efforts be made to obtain amendment to the Gaming Act to allow of the licensing of bookmakers.” This was seconded by Mr. W. T. Hazlett (Invercargill), and such a poor case for the motion Was made out that it was supported by. only the mover and the seconder.

Rating was feeling the effects Of the times and it was suggested that .unless bookmakers were licensed many clubs would go out of existence—very few have, though there have been amalgamations of benefit between some clubs.

The then president of the Conference (Mr. O. .S. Watkins) expressed very strong views on the matter, saying he was afraid the admission of the bookmaker would have a disastrous effect on the finances of all elute, especially the small and struggling clubs. He also pointed out that racing in New Zealand had been built up on the totalisator monopoly. The profits of racing were ndt used, to provide profits for arty proprietary interests. ;No portion of the moneys deducted, from totalisator investments or dividends, was teed for private profit. ; Mr. Watkins questioned Whether the only way to restore racing was to give away something that had made racing to sofne6ne who would exploit that something for his own private profit. As to owners, they more than anyone el£e had benefited in the past from the totalizator, since 90 per cent, (it was once 100 per cent.) of clubs’ revenue from the machine was devoted to stakes. In times of prosperity owners accepted without demur every increase in stakes. It was to the credit of the great percentage of owners that they were facing the smaller stakes question philosophically. The small percentage of owners who desired the bookmaker might well pause to consider whether the introduction of that more extensive gambling facility would really be to their ultimate benefit. Wherever the totalisator has been introduced it has made marked progress, and in England, where prior to its introduction the only known method of betting was through bookmakers, it has made great headway, the amount handled last year exceeding £5,000,000. J