GAMING AND LOTTERIES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXII, Issue 8964, 4 November 1907, Page 2

GAMING AND LOTTERIES.

RACE CLUBS OFFICIALS,

The Gaming and Lotteries Bill, introduced by the Premier, was circulated on Saturday. A penalty not exceeding £IOO, or in default' throe months’ imprisonment, is imposed on any person owning or keeping any house, room, or place as a common gaming house, taking part in the management of the same, or advancing money for gaming purposes at such places. Anyone found in a common gamine house without lawful excuse may ho fined £5. Common gaming houses include clubs, except those holding charters under the Licensing Act 1881, and also include premises kept for lotteries All games of chance are declared unlawful within tho meaning of the Gaming DECLARING A GAMING HOUSE. Power is given the Supremo Court to declare premises to he a common gaming house. The police on such declaration being made shall advertise tho fact in the Gazette and in tho local newspapers, and shall cause a notice of the making of the declaration to be served on the owner or occupier, or on their agent A notice visible to all persons entering tiro premises must also be posted up. A heavy penalty is made for the removal cf such nottico Clause 17 deals with the expulsion of the occupier from the premises. Tho declaration may be rescinded against the premises on conditions as are provided. Any person found on, or entering, premises after a declaration lias been made or is in force shall bo liable to arrest without warrant. The line in such case is not less than £5 and not more than £foo. An owner of premises is also to bo liable to a fine who fails to evict an .occupier against whom a declaration lias been made. To obstruct a constable or give I warning of his approach is an | offence punishable by a hue up to I £IOO or three mouths’ imprisonment. 1 STREET BETTING.

Any person who frequents, rises, or is‘in any street for the purpose of betting," is made liable to a fine of not loss than £3O, and not moro thau|£loo -for the first offence, and for any subsequent offence to a term of imprisonment not exceeding three mouths. Persons betting on sports grounds are liable -to a penalty of £3O. .race meetings. An officer of a racing club shall not accept telegraphic instructions as to investments on the totalisator, and anv person infringing this section shall hi? liable to a fine, of not less than £3O and not more than £SO. No telegrams relating to betting or investments on the totalisator shall be delivered at any racecourse. Advertisements as to betting on horse races are prohibited under pain of a penalty of £2O, but this section shall not apply to any advertisement or notification exhibited solely on a racecourse by any racing club authorised to use the totalisator, or ;to any publication after a race of information in respect to the race or -the result of betting in connection therewith.

The use of the double totalisator or of the use of the machine in regard to the place of moro than one horse in any one race is made illegal ; an iufiugemout of this section will carry a fine of not loss than £2O and not exceeding £SO. No sums for investment on the totalisator shall be received after or within five minutes of the notified time of starting of a race, and no investments shall be received otherwise than at the totalisator itself. Any persoul committing an offence against this section is liable to a fine not exceeding £IOO.

Racing clubs may, with the approval of the Governor, make regulations controlling admission to racecourses, and may exclude therefrom any specified class of persons, either absolutely or subject to conditiono. A breach of such regulations ij punishable by a fine up to £.m.

Every racing club which-is authorised to use the totalisator shall on application issue licenses to fit and proper persons to carry on business as bookmakers on the clnb’s racecourses. The club may charge a fee not exceeding £2O for every day of the currency of .such license.