New-York tribune., 1908-01-05
HOW THE B0oKMAKERs WORK.


The booismakers seated on stools. double
rows of which circle big incIosure, generally
under the srandstands and field stands Of the
tracks Each bookmaker has cashier. a sheet
writer and one more runners. w-o furnish
him with the trend of the betting. The book
maker holds a small slate In his hand on which
are the names of the horses their jockeys ard
the odds he is willing speculate against
the Judgment of the bettor- The player thinks
King Sol viii win at least finish second So
he walks I'D to bookmaker who has 10 I
to win, 2 to to finish second. chaIked uo
against King Sol. The bettor says King Sol
s. straight and IS place" The bookmaker calls
of the bet and the sheetWriter puts il down
with the number Of the bettor's racing badge
or his initials The player gets receipt for
his $40 After the race is over. and should King
Sol win, he goes to the bookmaker's cashier
shows his racing number. and collects ;ss in
addition to his original $40 investment; il King
Sol was second he gets $40 and 81 of his original
investment. having lost his first bet. The better
places implicit faith in the bookmaker's honesty
and he is rarely never defrauded
Suppose betting IS prohibited by law at ths
racetracks- There is power under the sun
many argue, to prevent betting by word .,
mouth. bookmaker could stroll around the
lawns and accept bets ION the nod" TO be sell
tied after the races away from the tracks Tbs
would be adoption of the time honored
method of the English racecourses. There the
racegoers OF prominence belong to TattersaIFs
two three other betting clubs each Of
which is clearing house for wagers. Book
makers the governors and betting men the
patrons of each club ring. the customers making
their wagers by word of mouth. IL recognized
layer of odds maintained office in this city
where he transacted business with his clients
on basis similar TO that which the Wall
Street broker gives or receives balances out
standing between his customers and himself /,
is argued that he would be doing nothing that
is illegal.
The occasional visitor to the track who desired
to place bet would have considerable Diff
ficulty under this system But this is point
on which the racing authorities and Governor
Hughes probably come close to being in
cord. The Jockey Club would undoubtedly well
come any arrangement by which the chief ob-
lection to racing removed-the fact that
men and women gamble on racing and
tempted TO speculate when they cannot afford
to lose the money they wager. There are few
who do not admit that the sport would be
benefited by the absence Of this class OF peo-
pie
The casual bettor who knows beforehand
what he can afford and is prepared to lose
cOuIu uiiueF tiiiS SSsteih' Bo W Iiie OiifSo VI
bookmaker before the races, deposit that sum
with the layer before starting for the track and
then bet with the bookmaker at the track to
the limit of his credit This system would per-
haps violate law. On the other hand, many
objections to it could be raised The "welcher"
would have an opportunity to defraud the bet
tors the bookrnaker could quote odds far below
what they should be and the few chances Of
success now in favor Of the bettor would become
even fewer
If betting Is eliminated will horseracing so on:
The majority of racegoers say IL will The
sport of kings has taken too strong hold
on too many interests and has too many trad1
tions behind IL to die