Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-04-15
RACE GAMBLING
TO BE LICENSED
GERMANY DECIDES 1T WILL IL
CENSE BOOkMAKING AND 81
CURE PERCENTAGE OF 500 0U
000 a WEAR FOR STAT.
MEASURE Is ADOPTED
FEDERAL COUNCIL HAS PASSED.
1T. AND 1T NOW AWAITS THE
ACTION OF THE REICIISTAG.

tiSSocidtcd Press COrrcSppHdcHcc.)
Berlin. Germany. April l5-The ger
man authorities have again capitulated
10 what they term the "incradicable
gaming instinct Of the average person"
After continued and vain attempts t.
put an cnd 10 promiScuous betting o.
horse races which involves "A sum yearly
estimated M between SI%50.O0O.00o and
500 MOO they nave decided TO license
bookmaking i'm an effort To secure for
the State a percentage of this sum \
measure to this end already reported
briefly hv cable. has been adopted 10y the
Federal Council and il now awaiting the
action of the Reichstag. Ii i hoped TO
have il and become effective in time for
the Baden Baden races mex August.
Heretofore the only form Of betting
sanctioned by law has been by means
Of the pari mutual machine. This. howev-
er. was available only To persons able Ia
visit the racetracks. The result il that "A
vast army If bookmakers. estimated at
5000 ply their business ia defiance Of
the law. In addition. every barbcrshCp
and thousands Of cafes and similar re
sorts harbor their handbook 4
Competent authorities estimate the
number of business places where wages
can he laid on horse races 1T over 300,
400. Prosecutions for bookmlking in
creased from Loo in 1906 10 1000 in
1872. For the most part they resulted in
trivial fines or short Jail sentences. and
he business went ahead just the same.
The better. too. u outside the law. and
has no remedy against dishonest hand
tnnl- 80, ~. lal,.Iar V,L. r.fr-n ~
settle winning waccrs.
The number Of licensed bookmakers is
not fixed ~ the new measure but il l.
understood that the government coniem-
plates licenses for about fifty. scattered
throughout the empire each Of which
will be entitled 10 establish branch Of
fees 10 meet the demand. Notwithstand
ing rigorous provisions again> Illicit
betting. furnishing both bookmakers and
bettor 9TH latter with fines up ~ s23i
experts believe that Illicit books will con
time to flourish. not only because the
wage earnrr> clerks and small Salar'en
men who TO-DAY furnish the bulk If the
handbook custom cannot afford the min
imum stake If AZ hut because the hcavv
taxa'inn II he licensed bookmakerS will
enable the handbook men 10 offer far
hrfrnr ODDS.
Since six nrr rent of every bet entered
will ~ t. he government ~ an initial
tav and winning bets will hc mulctcd
with IN additional tax ~ from 4 ner cent
80 hrf~ " Odds of 'wo - ono or less MI
- ~ ncr cent on the long shot If TWEEN.
" 10 ono or better. the man who PLAYS
q heavily backed. odd. = favarite. saw
~ . 10 :. may risk a possible fine rather
than the certain loss II nearly half Of
his Scantv vinnineSsTo hackers If hun.
dred ~ ONE outsiders the irrespective sur
rend"- ~ some ~, ~ 4 >l00 win will 10
~c0ualiv 'rir~rent
limiting anihori7ei gambling under
This law to horse racine the Government
in iIS introduction ~ he hin ~prnnornc-
81 against betting on football and other
snorts nNnmlar with the middle and
lower classes to save them from the
gambling contagion. Officers and sol