STILL ANOTHER OFF-COURSE SCHEME

Chronicle (Levin), 6 May 1947, Page 3

STILL ANOTHER OFF-COURSE SCHEME

GAMING COMMISSION HEARS CONFERENCE PLAN CHRISTCHURCH, May 5. A system of olf-course betting devised by the New Zealand Racing and Trotting Conferences was submitted to the Royal Commission on Gaming this morning by Mr. .Maurice Barrington Smythe, accountant for the Racing Conference. Benelits Claimed for the scheme were that bettors would receive full totalisator odds, betting by infants would not be encouraged, only persons with available ready cash would be able to bet thereby eliminating the evils oi credit betting, and all money would pass through the tote .with consequential benefits to the sport. It was not suggested that the system, especially at the outset, would. provide a service equal to that at present given by bookmakers who would accept up to a few minutes before the start of a raee and accept bets on credit. Totalisator agencies would be opened in places where the business warranted it, 200 being visualised as the minimum for the start. Under the control' oi the eonferences on agency by them, the premises would not have the atmospliere of - South Australian betting shops on race days. Cash would be received only in premises open to the public. There would be no encourage- ' ment to the public to loiter on the premises and every regulation would be adopted to preelude the development of "betting shops. " Investments made at agencies would be cpllated and tran^mitted to, sub- ! district offiees, collateS. again and fori warded to district offiees and so on to > head office in Wellington. The head office would carry out the final collation ; and transmit the results to the totalisa- : tor concerned to 'be recorded as soon as ■ it appeared. The Racing and Trotting l Conferences had been assured by the ; Post and Telegraph Department that i there were sufficient toll facilities and in future teleprinting machines and/oT other modern devices would be used. At any totalisator agency bets would ; be accepted in cash over the counter, . by telephone or by post. A cash bet- - tor would receive a ntraibered betting f slip and in the event of • its being a f winning one, the dividend would not be i paid out until the first day after the meeting concluded, this delay reducing

calls on the staff and avoiding confusion and a ' ' betting shop ' ' atinosphere. If a telephone were to be used, the • investor miist first lodge a deposit witli the ageney and supply a code word oi his own choosing. Wins would be lodged to his credit. Initially the scheme necessitated the placing of bets an hour aud a half be fore the advertised starting time of a race and bets would not be receivecl until the publication of aeceptances. It was estimated that the cost oi operating the scheme would be from l ; to 7 per cent., depending upon the turn , over. ' It would not be practieable t( ! operate it • in competition with th( . licensed booknxalter system, said Mr " Smythe»