Are you in favour of sweepstakes under strict legislative control being permitted to operate in Southern Rhodesia?
For
82.46%
Against
17.54%
"If sweepstakes be legalised, are you in favour of (a) Management by the Government direct? or (b) Management by a special authority under Government licence?
The Southern Rhodesia sweepstakes referendum of February 1934 saw the voters of Southern Rhodesia vote to permit the running of sweepstakes gambling "under strict legislative control", managed by the government of the colony.
Background
The Lotteries Prohibition Act 1891 made lotteries illegal in Southern Rhodesia, but it became increasingly common for Rhodesians to participate in sweepstakes conducted outside the colony and it was felt among the political class that a measure of reform on the issue was overdue. The case for legalising sweepstakes had been raised in the Southern Rhodesia Assembly from 1928, and in the general election of 1933 the Reform Party stated in its manifesto that it would submit the issue to a referendum should it be elected.
Arrangements
No specific act was passed to authorise the referendum; instead the Government Statistician was instructed to conduct the ballot, which was conducted entirely through postal voting with no polling stations being open. All those registered to vote were sent a ballot paper at the beginning of February, with a calendar month to respond (the ballot closed on 28 February). There were two separate issues on the ballot paper, which read:
1. Are you in favour of sweepstakes under strict legislative control being permitted to operate in Southern Rhodesia?
2. If sweepstakes be legalised, are you in favour of –
(a) Management by the Government direct?
or
(b) Management by a special authority under Government licence?
Results
There were 28,216 ballot papers dispatched, of which 20,550 were returned, making a turnout of 72.8%. The majority in favour of legalising sweepstakes was an overwhelming one of more than four to one. The voters then approved management by the Government direct, by a slightly more than two-thirds majority, although the Statistician discounted some 1,036 votes on the second question who had given contradictory answers "which made it impossible to determine what their views on management were". 203 ballot papers were blank on the second question.
Following the result of the referendum, the House of Assembly passed the State Lotteries Act on 14 May 1935 which legalised sweepstakes under Government control.
First question
Votes
%
In favour of sweepstakes
16,946
82.5
Against sweepstakes
3,604
17.5
Second question
Votes
%
In favour of management by Government
13,539
70.1
In favour of management by special authority
5,772
29.9
Question 1
Electoral district
Papers dispatched
Valid votes
Turnout %
In favour
%
Against
%
Bulawayo Central
2,058
1,370
66.6
1,198
87.4
172
12.6
Bulawayo North
2,027
1,445
71.3
1,066
73.8
379
26.2
Bulawayo South
1,343
850
63.3
723
85.1
127
14.9
Charter
687
475
69.1
382
80.4
93
19.6
Eastern
941
698
74.2
541
77.5
157
22.5
Gatooma
851
665
78.1
581
87.4
84
12.6
Gwanda
851
665
72.8
464
87.9
64
12.1
Gwelo
1,068
776
72.7
674
86.9
102
13.1
Hartley
633
525
82.9
429
81.7
96
18.3
Insiza
722
550
76.2
482
87.6
68
12.4
Inyati
791
566
71.6
483
85.3
83
14.7
Lomagundi
840
665
79.2
504
75.8
161
24.2
Marandellas
825
640
77.6
517
80.8
123
19.2
Matopo
952
726
76.3
617
85.0
109
15.0
Mazoe
901
703
78.0
581
82.6
122
17.4
Que Que
829
636
76.7
583
91.7
53
8.3
Raylton
1,259
849
67.4
757
89.2
92
10.8
Salisbury Central
2,290
1,601
69.9
1,359
84.9
242
15.1
Salisbury District
996
781
78.4
584
74.8
197
25.2
Salisbury North
2,043
1,501
73.5
1,027
68.4
474
31.6
Salisbury South
1,258
843
67.0
742
88.0
101
12.0
Selukwe
835
681
81.6
598
87.8
83
12.2
Umtali North
908
672
74.0
521
77.5
151
22.5
Umtali South
802
580
72.3
523
90.2
57
9.8
Victoria
1,024
715
69.8
537
75.1
178
24.9
Wankie
708
509
71.9
473
92.9
36
7.1
Question 2
Electoral district
Contradictory votes
Blank votes
Government management
%
Special authority
%
Bulawayo Central
49
7
782
59.5
532
40.5
Bulawayo North
50
9
933
67.3
453
32.7
Bulawayo South
20
5
502
60.8
323
39.2
Charter
47
13
357
86.0
58
14.0
Eastern
62
18
477
77.2
141
22.8
Gatooma
29
4
478
75.6
154
24.4
Gwanda
18
7
377
75.0
126
25.0
Gwelo
50
2
554
76.5
170
23.5
Hartley
29
7
377
77.1
112
22.9
Insiza
30
8
414
80.9
98
19.1
Inyati
26
4
369
68.8
167
31.2
Lomagundi
41
8
423
68.7
193
31.3
Marandellas
40
11
457
77.6
132
22.4
Matopo
32
9
398
58.1
287
41.9
Mazoe
32
12
485
73.6
174
26.4
Que Que
39
1
394
66.1
202
33.9
Raylton
37
3
491
60.7
318
39.3
Salisbury Central
53
14
978
63.8
556
36.2
Salisbury District
50
9
543
75.2
179
24.8
Salisbury North
72
10
1,022
72.0
397
28.0
Salisbury South
37
8
539
67.5
259
32.5
Selukwe
36
4
514
80.2
127
19.8
Umtali North
40
9
443
71.1
180
28.9
Umtali South
24
4
413
74.8
139
25.2
Victoria
67
14
495
78.1
139
21.9
Wankie
26
3
324
67.5
156
32.5
References
Source Book of Parliamentary Elections and Referenda in Southern Rhodesia 1898–1962 ed. by F.M.G. Willson (Department of Government, University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Salisbury 1963)