The State and Betting The Betting and Lotteries Bill, introduced
in the House-of Lords on Tuesday, will be examined in greater detail in these columns at an early date. While it is a comprehensive measure so far as track betting and lotteries are concerned, it leaves the important and per- plexing question of street betting alone. That it involves some interference with individual liberty is undeniable. Most legislation does. The broad case for it is that as a matter of objective fact betting in its various forms is responsible for a vast amount of poverty, distress and .7Time,' and must, in the interests of tl e community, be firmly choiced. . The sections of the Bill regarding the new sport; or diversion, of dog-racing are Well calculated to achieve the desirable result of eliminating those tracks which can only subsist on betting—whether they rely on it to attract their patrons or draw their profits from heavy charges to bookmakers. The limita- tion of betting to 104 days a year, and of totalisator profits to 3 per cent. of the pool, is a sound provision, whose operation seems likely to reduce considerably the number of tracks in existence. On other features of the Bill, notably its restrictions on lotteries, we shall comment later.* * * *
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