Group Says Illegal Racing Bets Tally Inflated
As reported by the (China) Standard: "The Hong Kong Jockey Club has exaggerated the amount of horse-racing bets placed with illegal bookmakers to win legislators' support for the proposed betting duty reform, an anti-gaming watchdog has alleged. "With Jockey Club chairman Ronald Arculli earlier hoping the proposed betting duty reform could help the club recapture between 10 and 20 percent of the HK$50 billion to HK$60 billion in horse-racing bets now said to be placed with illegal bookies, Hong Kong Gambling Watch said Sunday the figures provided by the club are 'inaccurate' and 'unrealistic.'
"Group convenor Reverend Wu Chi-wai said a gambling study conducted by Hong Kong University last year showed that just 0.4 percent of the local adult population - or about 20,000 people - placed bets on horse racing through illegal bookies, while soccer betting receipts confiscated by police last year amounted to HK$10 million. He wondered how such a huge amount in illegal bets could be attributed to so few punters, as the club claimed..."
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