The San Francisco call., 1908-05-17
Success Of Pai Mutud Betting May Mean
the Doom of the Book Maker

superiority to the book making plan,
not only from the standpoints pre-
viously alluded to, but in the way Of
the returns which 1t yields to success
full bettors. The odds that 1t has paid
on public choices, for instance, have
been remarkably remunerative and in
marked contrast to the cinch prices
which are so often laid by the profess
sional book makers. The results all
around have been 90 satisfactory that
1t is reported that the Kentucky state
racing commission is likely to pass q
rule prohibiting book making on all of
the tracks under It's Jurisdiction. Rep
resentatives of various racing essocia-
tions in the east and in Canada are al
READY reported to be investigating the
merits of the method. with the idea of
substituting 1t for the book maker. In
asmuch as the winter tracks at New
Orleans are closely affiliated in man.
agement with the Kentucky racing en-
terprises, 1t is not at all improbable
that next fall will witness the installa-
ton of the machine form OF betting at
the New Orleans tracks
WILLIAMS OPPOSES -.
If President williams OF the New
California jockey club continues to adj
here to his present views upon the
matter. San Francisco patrons of rae
ing are not likely to have the oppor-
tunity of testing the benefits and ad-
Evantages OF the system. Williams, In
response to a question as to whether
there is any likelihood of the adoption
OF the Kentucky plan OF betting at
Emeryville. replied that he had not
even considered the subject. but that
he was Inclined to the opinion that the
mutual system of betting possesses no
particular advantage over book making
and that from certain viewpoints book
point being that the bettor knows In
advance exactly what odds he is get
ting for his money. Williams pointed
out that the book makers do not al
ways win by any means and that the
booking bank rolls that are frequently
shot to pieces are circulated among
the patrons rof the sport and help to
keep the game going. Under the mu-
tual plan the bettors furnish all the
capital and 1t becomes case OF the
survival of the fittest, according to
President Williams idea.
That the mutuals would save the
racing public an immense amount Of
money under normal conditions, how
ever, cannot be gainsaid. It is the
public, after all Is said and done, that
supports racing. Occasionally the lay
ers OF odds have a poor season. but in
the main they are successful and nu-
merous examples are available in which
book makers have built up enormous
fortunes. It probably is true that
there are nearly as many losers as
winners among the book making fra
ternity at Emeryville this season, but
this is an unusual condition. in that
many of the bookies are handsome win
ners on the seasons operations. Last
year virtually all OF the layers rolled
up big profits. It IL figured that last
season the combined winnings OF the
book makers who operated here were
not far from half million dollars
Figuring that there was an average OF
about 33 books in operation during the
season, the expense OF their operation
for clerical help and other incidentals
footed up another half million. This
is aside from the rakeoff of about
S70o.0 900 which the Jockey club collected
from the books for the privilege of
operating during the 1877 days that the
meeting ran. Allowing that the COM
mission deducted from winning bets
under the mutual plan would about
equal the amount paid by the book
maker for the privilege OF doing busi-
ness. there would sdll have been
saving to the public during the local
racing season of 1906-07 of a cool mil
lion dollars. Because the book makers
have not been so successful the present
season. the saving had the system been
IN operation through the 1907-08 sea-
son probably would have been only a
little more than half that amount. Yet
that in itself Is a considerable sum.
REVIVED IN FRANCE
The pending reyersion from book
making to the mutual method of bet
ting in this country is a repetition OF
the history of the French turf, where
racing now iourishes under govern
mont supervision. It was in France
that the pari mutuel system was first
developed and utilized in the early '70s.
few years later the English system
OF book making was introduced, and
book making reached its golden age.
The book makers were everywhere..
They thronged every racecourse and
sold tickets in all large cities, especial
ly Paris. But abuses arose, the book
maker was corrupting the turf, there
were frequently scandalous disclosures,
and the public press began a crusade
that IN 1887 ended In ministerial sups-
preston of book making. The pari
mutuel plan was then revived under
government authorization and super
vision and has since been developed to
a high state of efficiency. Under the
French plan per cent of all moneys
which pass through the machines is
deducted.
The government, however, takes no
portion of this commission it merely
distributes 1t, and at the same time
regulates the system OF this s per
cent, per cent is used for the work
/ ing expenses. q large force of officials
and clerks being necessary as ticket
sellers, cashiers. mathematicians, etc;
? per cent is devoted to charities: / per
cent TO fund from which premiums
are paid to breeders and the remaining
tricts unable to secure ii otherwise
In the old days, at Churchill Downs