MONOPOLIES OF BETTING RIGHTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2809, 15 January 1908, Page 54

MONOPOLIES OF BETTING RIGHTS.

It is evident that the bookmakers. oper<^t-j ing in this part of ,+he, world- are by- noi means at happyrTfainily;. -and>- decline* to fact] in unison, in... order- f o "rea-p the benefit ofthe;. dignity Tvnich. .was conferred' on them, by -Parliament: "-Two, 7it is understood, will pay-i;he 'exorbitant fee which iff demanded"'by the Tuapeka "Counly Jockey Clubrfor "the" privilege of betting- "this' week' at Lawrence, and' others ; apparently haVefruitlessly "endeavoured, to secure a monopoly of the- right to- bet at tie Gore meeting," which . is to take glace next week. At,.a committee^ ,meeting"of the Gore "Racing Club~ which .was held on Saturday last a communication waaS received' ,from a number .of Dunedin. bookmakers .offering the sum of 70sovs per day .for the right to "bet, • provided that' not "more -than 1 seven, licenses^ w ®re.- granted. '.The "offer was -declined, anfd" it. is to be hoped that other clubs" will' also' decline to allow the right of betting to' he- monopolised in the manaerwhich' suggested to the -Gore Club. The officials of the "club should have-little or,; no difl&culty in finding out wheiiher -aperson is worthy of being licensed; and they would be acting contrary to the Gam-, ing "Amendment Act? in. placing a limitation on the number of bookmakers allowed to het at a meeting. ~lt "is evi3ent .Trom the manner in ' which the bookmakers - applied to be licensed at the Dunedin JocKey Club's summer meeting, the fees which they are paying to bet r at' Lawrence, and their attempt to obtain a monopoly, at Gore, ' that they are at war amongst tKemsetves, and if that is go the racing clubs' cannot be blamed "if theY charge exorbitant prices .for ,the, -right" xo bet and , do all that'-is reasonable^tockeep the j b^i'okmakieM: off, their coursesj i>^?Ke- fielders -have always had a grievance' "against the racing- .olußs because the latter .desired to. hold a mono--poly (per medium of ,the- totalisator) in the -betting at their meetings. Now," -we' have the bookmakers endeavouring to obtain select monopolies, amongst themselves,, and by their action- they- are-.travelling 1 in fee "right direction.. to ldi%'orce frona.-them-selyes any sympathy and privileges, that have been, conferred upon" them. -.- ' —