Story: Gambling

Tramway Boys' Art Union advertisement

By the late 19th century the term 'lottery' had an unwanted gambling taint, so 'art union' was adopted instead. In 1915 the first national art union was run in aid of wounded soldiers and their dependants. Cash prizes were banned so first prize was a £1,000 gold nugget although, as this advertisement shows, it was a euphemism for a £1,000 cash cheque.

Using this item

National Library of New Zealand, Papers Past
Reference: Dominion, 21 July 1915, p. 4 (N-P-1728-4)

Permission of the National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

David Grant, 'Gambling - Lotteries and raffles', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/zoomify/39439/tramway-boys-art-union-advertisement (accessed 20 April 2024)

Story by David Grant, published 5 Sep 2013