Football Pools

Football Pools, on which bets are made on results of matches, provide amusement for millions of people, both men and women. "Filling in the pools", i.e. forecasting wins, losses and draws on a printed form, takes place during the week; then on Saturdays at about 5 p.m. millions of people switch on their radio and television sets to check their forecasts. Anyone who gets them all right will win a very large sum of money.
About half of all British households risk on an average £20 a year each on the football pools. Only 30 per cent of the total risked is returned in prizes; the other 70 per cent is divided through taxes and the private firms whose costs are high. Huge profits are made by the football monopolies, such as Little-woods or Vernons, who week by week collect the coins from the pockets of the people, each of whom hopes to be the prize-winner.