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Show BETTING ON RACES LEGAL German Government Passes Long Heralded Bill to Prevent Pre-vent Illicit Wagers. Berlin; Germany, March 20. The German government's legalizing .betting .bet-ting on horse races through licensed bookmakers, was published here today. to-day. The bill, which had been long heralded, her-alded, alms at combatting handbooks and other illicit forms of ' betting, which have flourished highly under the existing law restricting betting to the official highly taxed pari-mutuels. ! The measure also is aimed to dis courage betting among the lower and middle classes and augment the go ernment's revenues by taxing the immense suras now illegally wagered. The percentage to be taken by the government and the race track own ers from the takings of the pari-riu-tuels is reduced by the now measure from 16 1-2 to 12 per cent in order to popularize machine -betting while money bet through bookmakers is to be subjected to a general tax of U per cent. "Winners, moreover, arc to be further taxed on a graduated scale ranging from 6 to 20 per cent according to the odds. Unlicensed bookmakers by the new r regulations, are subject to a punish- i ment of two years' Imprisonment and i confiscation of the bets, while tho x bettors themselves are to be heavily I- fined. Ii The bill prohibits the public display ; of race results and tips, and makes ; illegal bets recoverable by legal ac- ' ' Hon. |