A Dictionary of Occupational Terms Based on the Classification of Occupations used in the Census of Population, 1921.
ORDER XXVI.—PERSONS EMPLOYED IN ENTERTAINMENTS AND SPORT
Sub-order 1.—Persons Employed in Entertainments and Sport
890.—Bookmakers
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- bookmaker
- accepts and records bets, i.e., compiles book of bets, usually at race meeting; estimates and declares, from time to time, odds he is prepared to give or accept on field or particular horse, or other competitor in sporting or athletic contest.
- bookmaker's clerk (course)
- is employed by bookmaker to accept and record bets, and to compile "book"; also accepts and verifies claims lodged by successful parties to transactions.
- bookmaker's runner
; bookmaker's tout, tout
- is employed by bookmaker (q.v.), on commission, to accept bets from persons in street, at factory, etc.; illegal occupation.
- commission agent, turf commission agent
- places bets on behalf of owners or trainers (888) (q.v.) with bookmakers or turf accountants (q.v.); is sometimes paid a small commission, but is usually remunerated by inside knowledge which principal's instructions give him, and which enables him to back horses for himself advantageously; may also place bets for members of general public.
- professional backer
- makes a business of betting on racecourse; usually obtains names of horses likely to win from owners and trainers (888) (q.v.); studies form of horses; sometimes makes bets on behalf of owners and trainers, see commission agent.
- skiv (Epsom); slang term
- see tout.
- tic-tac, tic-tacker
- takes up position from which transactions in various rings at a race course can be observed and signals to bookmaker employing him, by waving his arms, variations in odds accepted against horses.
- tipster
; turf adviser
- sells to customers on course or through newspaper shops, letters, telegrams, etc., or other agencies, names of horses it is anticipated will win in specified races.
- tout, bookmaker's tout
; skiv (Epsom)
- (i) see bookmaker's runner;
- (ii) employed by bookmaker (q.v.) to visit training quarters surreptitiously and attempt to obtain information about chances of trainer's horses.
- turf adviser
- see tipster.
- turf accountant
- (England and Wales) a bookmaker (q.v.) who accepts bets from recognised clients on credit system, in which money does not change hands until after race; settles accounts periodically as agreed; (Scotland) a bookmaker (q.v.) who accepts bets and money from clients prior to race; settles account either daily or weekly.
- turf correspondent
- furnishes racing news and reports to newspapers and sporting journals; selects probable winning horses for publication in sporting columns of newspaper.
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From:
A Dictionary of Occupational Terms Based on the Classification of Occupations used in the Census of Population, 1921,
Ministry of Labour, 1927. Digitised by Peter Christian, August, 2016. This text is in the Public Domain. 