APPENDIX B.
RULES ON BETTING.[[433]]
Although the Stewards of the Jockey Club take no cognisance of betting, yet, for the convenience of such persons as are interested in the subject, we subjoin a copy of the Rules as re-arranged by the Committee of the Subscription Rooms, at Tattersall’s, on February 8th, 1886.
1. The Committee of Tattersall’s and the Committee of the Newmarket Rooms have authority to settle all questions relating to bets, to adjudicate on all cases of default, and, at their discretion, to report defaulters and persons guilty of any malpractice to the Jockey Club. In the following rules the words “the Committee” refer to either of those bodies.
2. In all bets there must be a possibility to win when the bet is made: “you cannot win when you cannot lose.”
[On September 25th, 1890, the following addition was made to this rule].
“No betting ‘first past the post’ will be recognised by either of the Committees.”
For betting purposes, the time of starting for any race shall be decided in accordance with Rule 38 of the Rules of Racing.
3. All bets are P. P.—play or pay—with the following exceptions—1. When the nominator dies before the decision of the race. 2. When the race is postponed to a future week, or the conditions are altered after the bets are made. 3. Bets on matches. 4. Bets made after the running numbers are telegraphed about a horse that is not subsequently under the starter’s orders.
4. If no objection is lodged within seven days of the race, exclusive of the day on which the race was won, bets go to the horse placed first by the Judge, and the settling, except in cases of fraud, shall not be disturbed. If an objection is made within the said time, bets go with stakes.
5. Bets made on one horse against another, or that one horse beats another, are determined if either of them should win: unless agreed by the parties, it is not indispensable that both horses should start. Bets made between horses 1, 2, 3 are determined by the places assigned by the Judge—it is not necessary to say the best of 1, 2, 3.
6. If odds are laid in running or immediately after the horses pass the post, and a dead heat is the result: and in “double events,” if either is decided in the backer’s favour, and the other results in a dead heat, the money betted must be put together and equally divided. As, according to racing custom, matches which result in a dead heat are void, bets are void also.
7. If a bet is made on one of the horses that runs a dead heat against a beaten horse, and the owners agree to divide, he who backed the horse that ran the dead heat wins half his bet. If odds are laid on one horse against another 1, 2, 3, and they run a dead heat for either place, the money betted must be put together and equally divided.
8. The person who lays the odds has the right to choose a horse or the field; when a person has chosen a horse, the field is what starts against him. If odds are laid without mentioning the horse before the race is over, the bet must be determined by the state of the odds at the time of making it.
9. Bets made after a race that the winner will be disqualified, stand, even if no objection be made.
10. Any bet made from signal or indication when the race has been determined shall be considered fraudulent and void.
11. All bets on matches and private sweepstakes depending between any two horses shall be void if those horses subsequently become the property of the same person, or of his avowed confederate.
12. Double event bets are determined when the first is lost.
13. Bets made on horses winning any number of races within the year shall be understood to mean between the 1st of January and the 31st of December.
14. Money given to have a bet laid shall not be returned, though the race be not run.
15. Confirmed bets cannot be declared off except by mutual consent, but on any allegation of fraud or corrupt practice, the Committee will investigate the case and may declare the bet void. Either of the bettors may demand stakes to be made on proving to the satisfaction of the Committee that he has just cause for doing so. If ordered, the bets must be covered or sufficient security offered, and a person refusing to cover shall be expelled the Subscription Room at Newmarket and at Tattersall’s.
16. The Committee will not necessarily enforce the settlement of a compromised account. Before giving a decision they may require the books of the debtor and a statement of his accounts to be submitted to them; but they have authority, in all such cases, to order the account to be settled if they think a reasonable offer is made.
17. If a debtor does not satisfy the claims of his creditors within twelve months, he shall not be entitled to receive any debts which may be due to him; but if he does so within the prescribed time, viz., “one year,” i.e., 365 days, inclusive of the day when the money was won, the Committee will support his just claims to receive payment from his debtors.
18. If any extraordinary occasion should arise, or in cases of notorious and palpable fraud, any of the before-mentioned rules may be suspended by the Committee.
19. The Stewards of races have no authority ex officio to take cognisance of any disputes or claims with respect to bets.