UNLAWFUL BETTING

Hokitika Guardian, 25 January 1933, Page 6

UNLAWFUL BETTING

PROBLEM IN ADELAIDE

ADELAIDE, January 4

The Commissioner of Police (Briga-dier-Gcneral It. L, Leane) tu.d Uit Betting Commission, whicn opened investigations to-day, that under the present .Licensing and Lottery and Gaming Acts iff wa s almost impossible to suppress unlawful betting. The Betting Commission was appointed to inquire into and .report on the prevalence of illegal betting in South Australia t and the best, means of suppressing- and controlling it v„> taw, and to make a, recommendation re- J garding th e licensing of bookmakers. “I could not suppress illegal betting,’ said Brigadier-General Leane, “‘even if I had 1000 police officers. It is futile tc expect that person* will not bet., and it. i,g almost an impossibility to stamp out betting. We could handle the question of betting by providing the l aw to dea. with it, and by giving facilities to the member,s of the public who do not go to the racecourses to do their bei-mg. I do not think, however, that the pavilion will he improved by licensing book-makers.”

He agreed that in the detection of betting the,re was generally hostility to the police, and that the sympathy of the public was with the bettor. The average Australian citizen had no objection ’tp a bet. That applied to all ■classes, and even to church bazaars. The use of th-r telephone ard th e wirclenhad greatly fostered betting h hotels. Tn private houses where betting was done, it was generally earned on in the bathroom.