Some economic aspects of off the course betting in New Zealand, being a study of the Totalisator Agency Board

Abstract

Before commencing any analysis of horse-racing in New Zealand, and its association with gambling, it is desirable to give some consideration to the general relationship between them. A propensity to gamble is common to large groups of people in many countries. According to Kroeber Alfred Kroeber: "Anthropology" (Harcourt, Brace, 1948). gambling for stakes is common to at least half of the non-Western world. As all of the Western world is addicted to gambling the evidence supports the view that gambling is a widely distributed group activity. This view is given further support by Allen David D. Allen: "The Nature of Gambling". who points out that anthropological evidence shows that the gambling habit is more common to the world than uncommon. There tends to be a close association between horse-racing and gambling. In many countries of the world, including New Zealand, horse-racing is one of the few means of legal gambling open to the population.