Gambling in the 1920s

[Claire64]

Sorry Chas I didn't mean to insult you

I did believe the article (hence why I posted the link) however I have done so before and promptly been rubbished for linking to wikipedia

Great news that you don't allow references from the Mail though, can't believe a word they print

They don't call it the Daily Fail for nothing!!  I do always read the citations, though I am not sure how many people do (everyone on here, I would hope, being diligent researchers!).  I will just add, about newspapers, the bending of the truth has always been so.  When I am researching something, I check for all references in the old papers.  Sometimes, with our Sheffield papers, you'd wonder whether the reporters actually attended the same event, so different are their versions of what happened. 

[Claire64]

(according to wikipedia so make of it as you will)

   

I am a Wikipedia editor and I will tell you what I make of it. 

Wikipedia was based on the 1908 Encyclopaedia Britannica, which was written and complied by professionals and experts in their field. It was discovered in 2008 that over 75% of it was inaccurate, between 10 & 20% was just totally wrong. Distances and populations were just made up.   

If you look at any article you will see in-line citations and references at the bottom of the page. Data is not allowed unless it has been previously promulgated in another source. Original research is forbidden. Reliable 3rd party resources only are used. Some national newspapers are not allowed to be cited a source as they are just not reliable - The Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday are just two off the top of my head. 

Every time an article is edited various editors are informed. We patrol the page and correct spelling, grammar, remove bias, correct syntax, debate among ourselves for hours on the tone of the article, do endless re-writes and so on, and so on ad infinitum.   

And why do we do this? So people with no understanding and less care can rubbish our work out of hand. What do I make of it? This is what I make of it - If you don't trust Wikipedia, don't give it as a link to another person!
 
Chas

Wow, I had no idea just how much went on behind the scenes!  Well done to all of you.

[mazi]

Bookmaking “without a license” was the original question, my understanding is that it was any cash betting that was illegal, except on a racetrack

It was possible to have an account with a bookmaker, when you settled your debts or collected your winnings after the event.

The original football pools before  1961 worked on this system.

Mike

Wiki is not clear on this