THE TOTALISATOR.

Kumara Times, Issue 1019, 7 January 1880, Page 2

THE TOTALISATOR.

The writer of " Passing Notes" in the Otago Witness does not believe in the totalisator. He says :—The totalisator has its legitimate uses, like everything else, but it will never supersede ordinary betting. This was quite p.lain at the St. Andrew's meetin<\ For wagers on the course the system is invaluable ; but it is of very little use beforehand. The reason is as follows : Suppose yoa fancy" a horse and there is a man with a totalisator. When you

have backed your choice, any numbei' of other people have their turn. Now, suppose the instrument remains iu readiness, and the sweep not closed for days; your horse may go wrong, and your money is dropped, while your neighbors invest on the new favorite. It is clear then that no sensible man will enter a totalisator sweep until the last moment. This utterly ruins the chance of big sweeps. Imagine Professor Cameron announcing a totalisator consultation ! If it was to close at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, he would liave no applications until 3.30 on that day ; and country oustomers would not apply at all. So we may conclude that, after all, those speculators who wish to back an outsider months before the race will have to stick to the old plan. Had you, gentle reader, wished some months ago to back Mata for the Dunedin Cup, you could have easily obtained 20 to 1 from metallicians j while had you backed the horse in a totalisator, you would have now been in the pleasant position of witnessing the applications of so many others, that, even if Mata won, you would only get £3 10s for £1 invested, and your foresight would go for nothing. On the course, however, the totalisator is no doubt the one thing that has been wanted for years.