BETTING BOARD

Taranaki Daily News, 6 September 1935, Page 4

BETTING BOARD

MR. McLEOD’S ADVICE totalisator control COMPLETE STATE POWER BOOKMAKERS’ TURNOVER RACING CLUBS’ BURDENS (By Telegraph—Special Wellington, Last Night. A proposal for the establishment of a betting board to handle the whole business of betting in New Zealand, ing the administration of totalisators, was brought forward in_the Legislative Council to-day by the Hon. J. McLeod in opening the Address-m-Reply debate Mr. McLeod spoke of the difficulties of racing clubs and of the great volume of betting handled by bookl ? a said the Racing Conference had declared in favour of complete State control of to the fate of the last Gaming Amendment Bill before Parliament Mr. McLeod said that with only one or two dissentients the Legislative Council had expressed its agreement with the necessity for gaming legislation, but since the matter had been considered many more racing clubs were faced with extinction. During the last few months at least three clubs’had gone out of business. Although racing was generally regarded as the national pastime it was being severely buffeted. Nearly all of New Zealand’s best horses were at present out of New Zealand, mainly because tire clubs in the Dominion could not offer sufficient in stakes, . After the failure of the last Gaming Bill the Racing Conference had considered the problem and suggested to the Government a Bill bringing totalisators under the control of a board as in Engwhat fate the proposal will have at the hands of the Government I do not know," said Mr. McLeod, “but whether or not the Government interests itself in taking control of gaming there is no question that the State is losing a huge amount of money which is going into illegitimate channels. While the turnover of the totalisator is about £3,000,000 it is almost certain that the bookmakers’ turnover in New Zealand is nearer the whole of which, except where the Government is able to extract income tax, is not available to totalisator or other taxation. “I do not believe that the bookmaker is a rogue or that he should not be allowed to carry on his business," proceeded Mr. McLeod, “but under the law as it now stands he is carrying on an illegal business. I do say, however, that it is a ridiculous policy that allows totalisator revenue to b® limited in this way. The Racing Conference and those interested claim that it is only reasonable that this revenue should go to the people.” : The proposal was that a betting board should be set up and that the whole business of betting, including that through the totalisator, should be placed in the hands of that board, Mr. McLeod said. Stakes had fallen from more than £500,000 in 1931 to £352,000. During the last five years the net losses of 46 racing clubs and 16 trotting clubs had amounted to £149,969. During that period the Treasury had received from the direct taxation of-clubs £1,954,000. It was unfair that a sport that produced such considerable sums for the consolidated revenue should be slowly bled to death.