Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-30

1916 Tax Code
rops Bettors
By MORRIS SIEGEL

RACE TRACKS, CRAP GAMES and other fundamental
refnements vital to the pursuit of the true spormans
way Of life have thing in with the Internal
Revenue Service: The name of the game is money with
all Of them.
Lately IRIS has been knocking on doors it seldom
visited previously Just be lucky enough to connect
twin double daily double with $500 payo and you'll
know what they when they say Big Brother is
watching
The IRIS which insists on piece of the action in most
transactions where the coin of the realm Is necessary
almost has become full partner with race tracks.
The legalized outdoor horse rooms prodded by IRIS
now have two for being: To improve the breed
and also TO improve business at the IRIS.
YOUR FRIENDLY CASHIER still pays off holders of
winning 50 combination tickets with customary cheerful
ness but not before he's acquainted the unSuspectng
winner with official document of the Government
known euphemiStically Form 1899.
Form 1899, innocent-ooking piece Of sinsterneSs
requires your name address, social security number and
the amount you earned by your sks at picking two or
four horse parlays.
Anything less than $500 usually is ON the house,
although it is not supposed to be- Anything and
you're introduced to Form 1899 before that smiling pay
master lets you feel your loot.
Form 1899 has been part Of the revenue code since
1915 but 1t seldom invoked at race tracks until
couple of years ago. One of IRIS legal minds probably
chalk bettor said it would be just the thing IRIS needed
to make it got its slice Of combination payoffs.
Now we're stuck with it.
s"DONT BLAME U.s." protests Don Retzlaw an IRIS
agent here Blame fellows like yourself" he said,
pointing at this visitor like the model for those original
Uncle Sam Needs You" posters.
Big-mouthed newspaper guys caused the whole
Inconvenience according to Retzaw, who Is not chalk
player by the way when began reading about those
big payoffS the twin double and SUCH" Retzlaw
explained with feeling of chestexpanding triumph "the
IRIS began to be concerned that not only losing
a bet, but also not doing good job"
And that's how the little busybody on the IRIS legal
discovered that Section GOAL which had been the IRIS
books long before parmuue betting spread covered the
situation admirably
hrs is interested primarily in combination betting
Other big payoffs go unchecked at the Commits
Soner Mortimer CapnS scouts leave it up to the con-
science Of the winner who has until April Is each year to
confess in he did not become on
the spot.
The IRIS naturally like the results of Form 1899 which
Is hardly popular the racing form the scratch sheet
with dabbers TITS got people tax conscious" they claim
Withholding sales tax and other forms of direct bite
by the Government were doing sloppy Job.
Headquarters at Tenth and Constitution avenue here
receives many letters and other criticisms of the combina-
ton breakdown. Their reaction is not Of complete
sympathy.
Recently the boys sent clipping from Boston
newspaper which noted that fans who hit an Sill 900
twin double at Lincoln Downs refused to identify them
selves to get paid protesting bitterly.
The IRIS noted it with a mother-in-law's feeling
TOO bad" scribbled the clipping.
The IRIS satisfied with its success at race tracks and
now is seeking games in which wants to be dealt in
do you have any suggestions what do about
Las Vegas?" he asked.
Sure. Stay away