Barrier Miner (Broken Hill, NSW : 1888 - 1954), Friday 5 November 1926, page 1


BOOKMAKERS' STRIKE

BETTING TAX PROTEST

ON ENGLISH RACECOURSE

(Special to "The Miner.")

London. November 3.

Unprecedented scenes were witness-ed at Windsor to-day, when the book-makers in Tattersall's ring, as a pro-test against the betting tax, refused to bet. A hostile crowd surrounded

a bookmaker attempting to lay the

odds, and he desisted.

The majority of racegoers departed after the third race. Betting was car-ried on in the smaller rings, but as Tattersalls provides the official start-ing prices on which off-course betting is based all starting-price bets were made void throughout the country.

Tattersalls bookmakers have adopted a resolution refusing to bet again to-morrow. The action has aroused much controversy, and some critics declare that their attitude is silly and wrong.

A leading bookmaker points out that the tax greatly reduced the attend-ance at Windsor, and there were so few punters present that he was un-able to make a decent book, and con-

sequently the risks of heavy losses were too great. Other Bookmakers, however, fear that the Government will introduce the totalisators if the

layers of odds persist in not wagering.