Evening star., 1922-08-20
Rate by Msil-Payable In Advance.
y Marxiand and virginia.
All Other States.
Dookmakinx and Tipselling.

The law prohibits bookmaking and
gambling on horse racing in the Dis
trict Of Columbia. Establishments
known as poolrooms. where such bets
are placed and bettors are paid-when
they win, which IL not often--are un-
der the ban, and may be raided and
those in charge held for trial. Yet race
track gambling prevails throughout
the District almost openly. Places are
in plain evidence In this city where.
through the congregation Of crowds
and the open display Of race track In.
formation, and even in some cases OF
sheets of betting odds, it is obvious to
any person who passes that illegal
gambling is in progress, Now and then
such Q place Is raided and the pro-
prietors or hackers are held; some
times indictments are returned, but
actual trials are rare and punishment
is still more infrequent. There Is a sad
hitch in the enforcement Of this law.
Meanwhile lively business is done
In the sale Of tips on the races, in
sheet form and in periodicals issued
for that specific purpose. These tips
are sold openly, are broadly placarded
and are eagerly sought by that pecul-
iarly gullible species OF humanity
known as the easy mark poolroom
player. The chief of police states that
there is no law against the sale Of
these tips.
But IL there were a law, il the traff1c
In these information sheets. which are
issued solely for the purpose Of In
ducing betting on the races, were
prohibited by statute, what assurance
is there of enforcement? The game
itself is under the ban Of law, and yet
1t thrives.
1t does not seem to matter that the
tips that are sold at varying rates are
almost sjways worthless. They COM
mand a Aarket nevertheless. For 1t is
the natnre Of things that the race
track gambling addict Is easy to fool.
He can be played" through either tips
or bets. He is trying, in effect. to get
something for nothing, to make money
without working. to win a stake. He
is not even q good gambler, for he has
no Judgment whatever in the game he
plays. He knows nothing about the
horses that are being run at distant
tracks. He knows nothing about the
Jockeys riding them or the men own
ing them or training them. He cares
nothing whether the races are straight
or crooked. Indeed, the crookeder the
track the more likely he is to play the
races on it. That apparently is part
Of the fascination Of the game.
Many thousands of dollars are
squandered daily In this city in the
purchase Of these worthless tips and
tn bets. The promoters OF the game
get the big profits. Very few race
players win in the long run. They lose
just enough to keep them, perhaps, al
ways hoping to get square. Many of
them borrow money to play. and some
of them borrow" it without permits
sion. In many a home there is want
because the one responsible for its
maintenance is squandering many dol.
lars every week In this futile game Of
chance.
Even If the police cannot get con-
victions. they should continue to make
arrests and to clean up these open re-
sorts. Put the poolroom promoters to
the expense of getting bonds and en-
gaging legal counsel. Keep on arrest
ing them if they return to business.
Let the cases pile up, If they will. in
court. Some day there will be a
reckoning. and in the meantime why
not make test Of the sale Of these
tips that are plainly inducements to
break the law by arresting those who
openly offer them for sale?