JUSTICE AS SHE IS
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] Sia,—" Such is law and justice," says a correspondent in last week's Spectator, commenting on the fact that the police, while taking no action in regard to football pools, have instituted prosecutions in connexion with tossing for pennies on Banstead Common.
It may not have occurred to your correspondent that the prob- able explanation for the failure of the police to prosecute pool gamblers is that this form of gambling is legal. And why, if we are to have, gambling at all, should football pools be prohibited by law ? The rich man may venture huge sums on the race- course, so why not allow the small punter to risk a shilling or two weekly on his favourite " nothing barred " or " points " pool ?
Is it not a fact that gambling is an almost universal instinct ? In practically every civilised country facilities for " having a flutter " are afforded—here we have the Turf, the " dogs," football pools, and crosswords ; in Ireland they have gigantic sweepstakes, and on the Continent State guaranteed lotteries.
And why not ?—Yours faithfully, W. J. H.
Previous page
