THE GAMING AND LOTTERES ACT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2451, 13 November 1886, Page 2

THE GAMING AND LOTTERES ACT.

United Press Association. Christchurch, 11th November, A smart fino was imposed by Mr Beetham this morning upon two bookmakers, A. G. Clarke and O. A. Porter, who wero convicted of breachos of the Gaming and Lotteries Act. The case against them was that on the first day of the Metropolitan Meeting they stood together near the totalisator, and announced that thoy would pay tho Baino ,'liviclonds on the winning horse as tho totalisator paid. Portor took tho money while Clark made entries in a book ruledfor the purpose. Clark's explanation was that Portor had simply undertaken to obviate the inconvenience many persons had in getting to the totalisator during a crush, and that Porter employed him to book tho monoy recoived in order to avoid mistakes. They did not undertake to invosfc tho monoy in the totalizator, but they guaranteed to pay investors who backed winning horses the amount thoy would have received from the totalizator had they taken tickets directly. If no one backed tho winner they(tho defendants) kept fcho proceeds. This happenod in two races—the Spring Hurdleß, in which they recoived £2O, and tho Criterion Stakes £3115s—in neither of which had they a single backer of the winning horse. It was pointed out for the defence that, had some persons backed winning horses, and tho totalisator dividends wore heavy, defendants' losses would have been proportionately heavy, and this was the risk they ran. The Bonch held that the defendants had conducted an unlawful scheme contrary to the Act, and each of them was iiued £25.