REPORTS OF COMMITTEES
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2230.1951.tb00211.x |
| Date | 01 July 1951 |
| Published date | 01 July 1951 |
REPORTS
OF
COMMITTEES
THE
ROYAL COMMISSION
ON
BETTING,
LOTTERIES
AND
GAMING,
194941
THE
Report of the Royal Commission on Betting, Lotteries and
Gaming,
1949-51,
*
has observed the traditions of such Reports in
one respect at least.
It
has united in opposition
to
some of its
proposals the Churches Committee on Gambling and the
Book-
makers’ Protection Association.a Indeed, the tone
of
the Report
made it unlikely that it would receive widespread
or
fervent sup-
port. Neither the ardent gamblers nor the ardent anti-gamblers
will find
it
much to their liking, and even those who dislike gambling
but are prepared
to
let others go to the Devil in their own way
will probably receive it with little enthusiasm. This comment is
by no means intended to be derogatory, but reasonableness and
compromise do not awaken strong feelings. That such adjectives
characterise the Report may perhaps be best shown from its con-
clusions on the scope
of
gambling. As to economic effects the com-
ment is
(169)
:
“
We conclude that gambling, on the scale on which
it
is
indulged in at the present time, cannot be regarded as imposing
a serious strain on our national resources and manpower
’;
as
to
gambling as a cause of crime the Report states
(177)
‘
that gambling
is
of
no significance as a direct cause of serious crime and
of
little
importance, at any rate at the present time,
as
a
direct cause
of
minor offences
of
dishonesty
’;
as to the general demoralising effect
of gambling the Report concludes
(180,
188)
that the great majority
of
gamblers do not spend money recklessly on gambling without
regard
to
the consequences on the standard of living of themselves
and their families. Against such statements, however, the Commis-
sioners record their opinion
(185)
that ‘no sensible man could but
wish that gambling played
a
less prominent part in the life of this
community than it does’. The remedy, they conclude, is to be
found in public opinion, education and the provision
of
other facili-
ties for pleasure, rather than in law. The function of law is ‘to
interfere as little as possible with individual liberty to take part
in the various forms of gambling, but to impose such restrictions
as are desirable and practicable to discourage
or
prevent excess
’
(186).
For
this purpose the law should
(189)
apply uniformly
throughout the community, gambling should be conducted
as
far
1
Cmd.
8190.
Nilmerical
refcrenccs
in parenthescs throughout this
note are
to
2
Seo
The-
Timrx,
April
21,
1951,
a
letter
from
thc
chairman
of
tlie
Advertising
paragraphs
of
thr
Ileport.
I3ookmakers’
Investigating
Committee.
322
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