Hong Kong is famous for its fervent lottery participation, with long queues forming hours before the biweekly draws as citizens dream of life-changing windfalls. The national fixation sparks debate about whether it reflects unhealthy addiction or harmless escapist fantasy. Understanding both sides of the argument illuminates the complex social role of the game.
Lottery enthusiasts have a chance to try their luck in the latest mark six results, with the jackpot climbing to HK$118 million. Number 29 has appeared the most in 36 previous LNY snowball draws, while numbers 3 and 11 have each been drawn nine times. In addition, number 43 has also been a frequent winner in the past.
The mark six results are released each week and can be viewed on the official website of the Hong Kong Jockey Club. The website features a full list of the winning numbers and explains how the numbers are selected. It also offers a free tip on playing smarter and winning more often. The site also recommends reading Gail Howard’s book, Lottery Master Guide, which provides detailed strategies for picking winning numbers.
A spokesman for the Hong Kong Jockey Club, which operates the mark six lottery, said that while revenue for this vertical has declined in recent years, it is a crucial source of funding for the government’s Lotteries Fund. The club also pays out a large proportion of its profits to charitable causes and community projects.
In the 12 months to 30 June, the Jockey Club’s total turnover rose by 5.1% year-on-year, boosted by strong growth in football betting and the mark six lottery. The latter contributed HK$7.56 billion, the highest contribution to revenue of any single product in its history.
Some people argue that the Mark Six frenzy is a dangerous entree to gambling and possible addiction, while others point out that many people who buy tickets don’t gamble in other ways. Reverend Wu Chi-wai, convener of the Anti-Gambling Coalition, warns that overemphasis on the lottery can encourage those who don’t gamble to think it’s easy to strike it rich. “This will give them false hope and they might be attracted to other forms of gambling in the future,” he said.
The lottery business is regulated by the Gambling Supervision Commission and is monitored by the Financial Services Authority. The commission has a remit to ensure that the business is operating in accordance with the law and does not pose a risk to consumers or the integrity of the industry. The commission also aims to protect the public by promoting responsible gambling, including through education and awareness programmes. The commission has a number of measures to promote responsible gambling, including banning the sale of lottery products to minors and limiting advertising. The commission also monitors the number of problem gamblers and their severity. It has reported that in the past five years, there have been 2,580 cases of problem gambling among adults and 659 children under the age of 18. Of these, 89 were severe.