LAYING THE ODDS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3505, 23 April 1912, Page 3

LAYING THE ODDS.

KOW THE "BOGK!E” THRIVES. LIES L BETTING IN AUCKLAND. TELEGRAPHY’S IMPORTANT PART. By Telegraph—Special Correspondent. AUCKLAND, April 22, While the result of last wee IP s police raid on four city betting shops serves to show that the bookmaker still thrives despite the provisions of the'Gaming Act of 1910. which aimed at his total extinction, it failed to indicate the full extent to which illegal betting goes on in Auckland. "While the four gaming house proprietors convicted were well known as layers of odds they did' not by any means represent the biggest bookmakers at present operating in this city. There are. quite 50 such gentry ear tying on a lucrative bookmkaing business in and about Queen Street, and there are at least, half a dozen who Sbabl y each have a larger clien-t-lian the whole four arrested last week put together. Certain it is that if the law’s intention is really to, be carried out. the police must follow up the recent raid with vigorous and systematic action. Spasmodic effort is useless. . In certain saloons well-known members of what used to be called "The Puig” were openely telephoning flier clients concerning thein fancce* *->r Epsom and Trentham, at both of which places racing was in progress yesterday, and that certain semi-pub-lic places are similarly frequented and used is very well known.

Betting by telegram. One of the most extraordinary features in connection with the extent to which bookmaking goes on jn Auckland is that the Government lb. si and Telegraph Department lends its ready assistance to those desiring to ,use it as an agent. As an illustration the reference of a Star representative yesterday morning may be quoted with a view, to ascertaining to what extent it is possible to ‘use tile telegraph, wires hi. getting into touch with a layer oi odds. " 1"',.. He handed m a wire at the Aticavland Telegraph office counter addresscd to a well-known bookmaker at an equally well-known address in \ ulcau Lane.‘The telegram-read follows... ■■£■]. Specialist, Farewell Handicap." The telegram was received. Qn the occasion ot the recent meetting at Ellerslic- the same pressman •put in a wire to another bookmaker for £1 bets on bath Sen Pink and Devastation. The telegram, was received and delivered and the winnings on Sea Pink were later on collected. On inquiry it was ascertained that such telegrams went, through in scores; every day to every part of the Dominion. It was felt' that there was no use trying to ..stop, them, for the bookmakers .periodicaiv altered their addresses, received messages in c'7le, or adopted seme other means of evading the law. Again it was admitted that the back makers had private letter boxes, and just as easily did business through their correspondence as any ordinary business man.

The acl vantage* of hotting by telegram or post is that the “punter' ; . is exempted from the possibility of being caught in a 1 -tting- shop as SO <xkt people were caught in last week -s raid. . , He never goes near tne . hookinerer's premises unless to collect a dividend. which, in the-natural order oi things, isn't very often. In most cases the client who dees business with the turf agent, uses a fi-titious name known only to the agent, and thus safeguards hmisep against trouble in the event of h ' telegram being connected m a police raid. . Another reason wliv ••punting ».' wire is popular is o th'at the client oi yen want- to put through a transaction iust before a race is due to ..be run. The “bookie’- may not be immediatelv available, and there mat not be time to follow him round bis usual haunts. Accordingly the teleginm form is requisitioned, and whether the telegram reaches its destination before or after the race does not matter since the time stamped upmi k bv the telegraph operator suffices, and makes it acceptable as a wager. A common practice.

There is not the shadow of a doub, that the Post and Telegraph office is used to a tremendous extent as a medium for betting transactions and that tote dividends are wired to bookmakers from all parts of the country for it is based on this liitorma tion that the bookmaker does inner, of his business. Yet a newspaper is debarred from publishing tins same information. The extent to \\lmm the Post and Telegraph Departmentis used in this- way is simply astomshexamination of the hooks and papers found in the offices raided las, week alone, sufficed to prove that t ie experience is not common to Auckland In all parts ol the Dominion betting bv post or telegraph .is an absolutely common practice.telegrams such «r, the above it is quite patent have only one meaning, and slioubi n °\dH?t3v? l Will hooktnaker and clinch would, in the event of such action on the part of the authontios, devise a code system, but even then it should be possible to stop negotiations and stamp out the -pract.ce as effectuallv as it has been done in An -- tralia in connection with I attersalls. Certain it is that the bookniako, still thrives, and that the lesson oi the recent prosecutions has nor. been sufficient to stop illegal l>eLtp.„, it is going on as merrily in Auckland this da- as ever it did.