THE LUST TO GAMBLE.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 April 1920, Page 5

THE LUST TO GAMBLE.

POPULARITY OF RACING. INCREASING ATTENDANCE AND INVESTMENTS. The keynote of racing reports for the past three months Of the present year has been the consistent increase in speculation as registered by the totalis# tor. It is hard to trace an instance in which the receipts for the previous year have not been surpassed, while in many pases ihe increase has been little short of phenomenal. These circumstances are attributable to a degree to the growing popularity of the "King of Sports," as evidenced by the record attendances. During the meetings held over the Easier period, the flood of wealth has in no manner waned, and the statistics for four two-dav carnivals show an increase in speculation of .-€1:1"),233 over the -aggro-' gate receipts for the same period in 1010.

Totals .. m,~27 10 525,960 111 K13.233 NOTE.—No. 1, Auckland Racing Club; No. •>, Christehurch Racing Club; No. 3, Metropolitan T.C.j No. 4, Feilding Racing Club. The figures as to attendance are not available, but where the weather conditions have been favorable record crowds have been reported. The veracity of this brief report" is evident from the figures >it the Auckland Easter meeting. The number of patrons registered by all !the turnstiles at Ellerslie in 1919 was 15,000 on the first day and IS.OOO on Easter Monday, a total of 33,000. At the last carnival the attendance was 19,000 on Easter Saturday and 22,000 on the second day, a total of 41,000, showing an increase over the last year of 8000. On the 1919 figures this shows an average investment per head at Ellerslie during Easter of approximately £4 Ss, and on the 1920 figures an average investment of approximately the same amount, showing that the lust to bet has not increased to any material extent.

Ifll'j. 1520 Increase. £ a. £ s. £ No 1 .... 140,520 1(1 105,855 1(1 49,335 So 2 .... N5.IW2 10 118,394 II) 32,702 No' 3 .... V4.CS2 10 103,237 10 33.555 No' 4 .... 83,832 103,473 19.C41