The Star. FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 1924. A LOT TO LEARN ABOUT BETTING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17245, 11 January 1924, Page 6

The Star. FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 1924. A LOT TO LEARN ABOUT BETTING.

The British Betting Committee has a good deal to learn about betting and its regulation. Apparently it regards gambling as a national vice, which it is, unquestionably, for having delivered itself of the observation that betting is ingrained in the Anglo-Saxon character (like original sin, of which the poor okl Anglo-Saxons have no monopoly) it calmly adds that the State would not be giving its imprimatur to betting by the registration or taxation of gambling. This is §hec.r nonsense, of course, but it is not very- material except in its bearing on a point on which Englishmen have always been rather proud, namely, that they can settle their gambling debts without any' legal compulsion. But when the Committee puts forward the argument that taxation would assist in decreasing many- of the gambling evils, presumably- by- reduciifg the volume of betting, it is time to study- the experience of oilier countries which have had taxation and the totalisator. In this connection the Committee might very- well have taken evidence* regarding New Zealand. 1

In the early day-s of the totalisator, when the odds and dividends were freely- published, and before the bookmaker was outlawed, betting at totalisator odds with.bookmakers, professional and amateur, became so widespread that it had to be declared illegal, as much to check gambling as to protect the totalisator. The prohibition of the publication of totalisator odds was a later attempt to curb the activities of the amateur bookmaker, who was working on the ten per cent margin represented by the totalisator lax. That ten per cent has now risen to practically fifteen per cent, and the bookie ” is on a better wicket than ever. He is an outlaw, but he flourishes like the green bay tree, and many racehorse owners regard him as an indispensable adjunct to racing, since they- do their betting through him to keep up the “ price ”on the totalisator. Therefore it will be seen that in Britain the mere introduction of the, totalisator is not likely to lead to any- diminution in gambling, and may even encourage it among the poorer classes by automatically- fixing a universal starting price, with an assured margin of profit. It is to be feared that the Committee's recommendations will not curtail or modify- the evils of betting, or remedy the inconsistencies of the present law. An actual reduction in the. volume of gambling would be a greater economic blessing than any- amount of revenue from what is recognised as a -Tonal vice, and it would be much better to launch a widespread educative campaign on the hollowness of gambling, which is an enemy- to thrift and national well-being.