OFF-COURSE BETTING SCHEME PROPOSED TO GAMING COMMISSION

Wanganui Chronicle, 11 March 1947, Page 5

OFF-COURSE BETTING SCHEME PROPOSED TO GAMING COMMISSION

DOUBLES “TOTE” COULD BE ARRANGED, SAYS EXPERT (P.A.) Wellington, March 10 Cyril V. Uay, a public accountant, of Palmerston North, who said that he had 35 years’ experience with totalisators, gave evidence before the Gambling Commission to-day. He suggested the use ot portable electric totalisators at race meetings where the most modern machines were not in use. He also dealt with the possibility ot operating the “double” totalisator with the aid of a portable electric machine. The portable machines, he said, would provide modern totalisator facilities on all courses with the capital outlay within the resources of every club and it would eliminate the wastage of large sums of money on individual and permanent equipment. The portable electric machine, with a multi-valve ticket issuer, would provide a solution to the problem ot double betting. The only extra plant required would be some additional aggregating machinery to record investments and it would be possible to operate up to seven doubles daily. | The fundamental principle of the scheme he put forward for handling off-course betting, said Mr. Day, was the utilisation of the services of tlie Post and Telegraph Department. Wherever it was now possible to semi a telegram it would be possible to record, free of cost, an investment on any horse on any racecourse in New Zealand. A standard interval between races would be necessary—he suggested 45 minutes —and the closing time for off-course betting should be, if possible, no more than 40 minutes before the start of each race. Investments at individual offices would be collated and the total investments on each horse on each book would be transmitted by telephone to the chief post office in the district. In turn the investments within each chief postal district would be collated into one total and transmitted by teleprinter direct to racecourses. There were 19 chief post offices in New Zealand. This would mean that there would be 19 commission investments on the totalisator lor each race to handle off-course betting. Mr. Day also suggested that post office facilities could be utilised lor the payment of dividends, receiving a commission of two and a-halt per cent, to be paid by the club concerned. Henry Trewby. clerk, Wellington, submitted that gambling made unemployment. During the depression there was no shortage ot goods or materials but a scarcity of buyers. At that time there was appreciable gambling. In the racing year ended July 31, 1931,£5,279,404 was invested on the totalisator. Had that sum been spent on shop goods, farm produce, minerals and Building repairs and construction, unemployment would have virtually vanished overnight. T. Donovan, lor the Wellington Bil-liard-room Proprietors' Association, said billiard-room proprietors were prepared to act as off-course lakers tor any legalised system o£ off-course betting. There were 600 billiardrooms in New Zealand and a large percentage of their patrons were interested m racing.

Mr. Justice Finlay (chairman): “Don't you think that saloons, il so licensed, might become the rendezvous of gamblers?” Donovan said he did not think this would occur if there was strict control of those to whom the privilege ot off-course betting was given. His Honour said that the commission was not concerned with granting licences, but with the principle ot whether or not off-course betting was to be recommended lor adoption. 11 it was, and the Government accepted the recommendation, then the association could apply to whatever licensing authority or tribunal dealt with the allocation of licences.

The commission then adjourned until to-morrow.