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The Raffle Connection
The success or otherwise of national lotteries in New Zealand had an inverse relationship with the success of community raffles and other forms of gambling. During the peak years of the Golden Kiwi and the Mammoth, between 1962 and 1966, the number of legal raffles fell and the renewal of housie permits dropped by as much as 80 percent in some areas. This was partly because the limits on ticket prices and prize lists had led many community groups to decide that running a legal raffle was not worth it. Yet between 1966 and 1968, the years during which the major lotteries were in most strife, the number of raffle permits issued increased from some 8,000 to nearly 19,000. Two factors contributed to this upsurge. Firstly, as the Golden Kiwi and the Mammoth lost their gloss, punters began returning to smaller raffles which afforded better odds for winning a prize. Secondly, an economic recession restricted the ability of community organizations to raise funds by other methods, which encouraged a return to the humble raffle. That led, of course, to a fall in profits from the Kiwis and Mammoths which were available to community organizations, making it necessary for them to raise more money themselves before they became eligible for a grant (the criterion had changed from a one to one subsidy in 1962 to one to four by 1969). The trend was cyclical, albeit a downwards one for the national lotteries. When they were new and booming, community raffles suffered. When lotteries faded, local operations reasserted themselves. Raffles had a further advantage in that they were usually drawn reasonably quickly, unlike the Mammoth, in particular; by 1969 it was operating on a three-month cycle for each draw compared with a 36-hour cycle when it began. By the end of the decade the Mammoth had become the wallflower among lotteries. Where once tickets had disappeared in a matter of hours, they now yellowed with age as they sat neglected on kiosk counters. The Mammoth's demise, it seemed, was just around the corner. There were also difficulties with other aspects of the operation. McArthur secured a pay rise in 1968 when he was put on a fixed public service salary in place of his previous payment by fees. But the negotiations over this were protracted, occasionally acrimonious, and not helped by a serious illness McArthur suffered between July and October 1967 which required a long convalescence. Agents were also restive. In February 1967, as tickets became harder to sell, a Wellington group agitated for a higher commission. Seath refused. In September 1968 more serious conflicts emerged between Auckland agents and McArthur, firstly over an alleged breach of the 1965 undertaking to discuss problems, and secondly over 'tactless' and 'indiscreet' methods of his son and employee, Ross McArthur, in dealings with them. Once again, Neil McArthur was conciliatory. He agreed that he, or his representative, would meet with agents every month. He also suspended his previous requirement that agents provide financial guarantees and converted to dollars was barely enough to purchase a similar house in a less desirable area, let alone the trappings. It was not hard to imagine Neil McArthur's disappointment that successive governments had taken no heed of his continual suggestions to revamp the lotteries. He was tired. On 29 March 1973, at the age of 72, he announced he was pulling out altogether. It was the end of an era: McArthur had been involved in organizing national lotteries for 44 years, working under eleven Ministers of Internal Affairs and nearly as many Secretaries. He had been the art union's Auckland agent for nearly half that time, as well as an inspector of patriotic raffles during the Second World War. Under McArthur's long stewardship the national had become an institution, a well-known landmark in the recreational culture of ordinary New Zealanders. Newspaper interviews from his later years revealed him to have been a man of industry, integrity and good humor. If he seemed to lack the dynamism needed to agitate successfully for a truly competitive national Online lottery, this owed something to the nature of his position. His contract was dependent on government goodwill, and he needed a positive relationship with Ministers and Internal Affairs staff to run his operation efficiently. That was not always achieved. Middle-level gaming officials, often in office only a short time and keen on promotion, were unwilling to 'rock boats' by supporting the changes McArthur wanted. He adapted to the radical, new demands of the Golden Kiwi without trauma, and, in his last years continually proffered sage-like advice to winners: 'Do The most comprehensive portal for Illinois lottery, support your lottery operation. History, statistics and winning numbers. All Rights Reserved © LotteryFlorida.net 2005-2007. http://www.lottery-illinois.com
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