WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1991
CURRENT GAMBLING POLICY EFFECTIVE
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THE GOVERNMENT'S CURRENT GAMBLING SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, MR PETER TSAO, COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION MR TSAO SAID, HOWEVER, THIS DID NOT WAS COMPLACENT.
IS EFFECTIVE,
THE
POLICY
INFORMED THE LEGISLATIVE
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BY THE HON NG MING-YUM, MEAN THAT THE GOVERNMENT
"NEW FORMS OF GAMBLING ARE DETECTED FROM TIME TO TIME; STEPS ARE TAKEN TO MODIFY THE POLICY OR AMEND THE GAMBLING ORDINANCE AS NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT THE POLICE HAVE THE POWER THEY NEED то TACKLE ILLEGAL GAMBLING IN ALL ITS FORMS," HE SAID.
THE MOST RECENT AMENDMENT TO THE GAMBLING ORDINANCE TOOK PLACE LAST YEAR WHEN IT WAS AMENDED TO SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASE THE SENTENCES FOR OFFENCES RELATED TO ILLEGAL GAMBLING AND то TIGHTEN CERTAIN PROVISIONS IN THE ORDINANCE TO ALLOW THE LAW TO BE ENFORCED MORE EFFECTIVELY.
"WITH THESE AMENDMENTS, THE MAXIMUM FINES FOR OPERATING ILLEGAL GAMBLING ESTABLISHMENT, FOR BOOKMAKING AND FOR OPERATING ILLEGAL LOTTERIES WAS RAISED FROM $500,000 TO $5 MILLION, HE SAID.
MR TSAO SAID THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY RESTRICT OPPORTUNITIES FOR GAMBLING BUT ΤΟ OUTLETS TO COUNTER ILLEGAL GAMBLING.
HAD ALWAYS BEEN TO ALLOW FOR CONTROLLED
"IN PRACTICE, THIS MEANS STRICT LAWS AND FIRM ENFORCEMENT ACTION AGAINST ILLEGAL GAMBLING ACTIVITIES, SUPPORTED BY THE PROVISION OF CONTROLLED ALTERNATIVES WHERE A COGENT NEED FOR SUCH ALTERNATIVES HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED.
"OFF-COURSE BETTING CENTRES (OCBC) ARE ONE OF THE MAIN WEAPONS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST ILLEGAL GAMBLING," HE SAID.
ON THE ESTABLISHMENTS OF OCBC'S, MR TSAO SAID THEY WERE BEING CLOSELY MONITORED.
BEFORE THE OPENING OF THE FIRST OCBC IN APRIL 1974, OFF-COURSE BETTING WAS THE MOST POPULAR FORM OF ILLEGAL
HE GAMBLING,
SAID, ADDING THAT THE ESTIMATED COMBINED TURNOVER OF BETTING ON HORSE AND GREYHOUND RACING EXCEEDED $7,000 MILLION A YEAR.
"IT WAS AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND THAT IN OCTOBER 1973, EXECUTIVE COUNCIL APPROVED THE LEGALISATION OF OFF-COURSE BETTING.
THE
"SINCE 1974, THE INCIDENCE OF ILLEGAL OFF-COURSE BETTING HAS DECLINED, AND RELATED SOCIAL PROBLEMS CAUSED BY LOANSHARKING AND TRIAD INTIMIDATION HAVE BEEN ALLEVIATED," HE SAID.
THE
HOWEVER, WITH THE SHIFT OF POPULATION FROM URBAN AREAS TO NEW TOWNS, THE POLICE HAD DETECTED AN UPSURGE IN ILLEGAL GAMBLING IN THESE AREAS FROM TIME TO TIME, HE SAID.
/"WHERE OCBC'S