XN000022-1976-11-24 — Page 9

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1976

EFFECTS OF OFF-COURSE BETTING OFFICES

ON ILLEGAL GAMBLING RACKETS

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SOME INROADS SEEM TO HAVE BEEN MADE INTO ILLEGAL GAMBLING RACKETS WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF OFF-COURSE BETTING OFFICES AT PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES, THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, THE HON. DENIS BRAY, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

IN ANSWER TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. WONG LAM, HE SAID WITH OFF-COURSE BETTING FACILITIES READILY AND CONVENIENTLY AVAILABLE WITHIN THREE PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES, IT WAS INEVITABLE THAT SOME PUNTERS WOULD BE ATTRACTED FROM PATRONISING ILLEGAL BOOK-MAKERS.

HE STRESSED, HOWEVER, THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO ASSESS WHETHER THESE OFFICES HAD HAD ANY SIGNIFICANT EFFECT IN COMBATTING

ILLEGAL GAMBLING IN ESTATES IN VIEW OF THE SMALL NUMBER OF ESTATES INVOLVED AND THE FACT THAT THEY HAD ONLY BEEN IN OPERATION FOR A RELATIVELY SHORT PERIOD.

+BY THEMSELVES THEY ARE ONLY ONE HALF THE ATTACK ON THE PROBLEM, + HE SAID. THE OTHER HALF IS THE ATTACK ON ILLEGAL GAMBLING THAT THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE ABLE TO MOUNT WHEN IT HAS THE POWERS AND PENALTIES OF THE NEW GAMBLING BILL AT ITS DISPOSAL.+

MR. BRAY EMPHASISED THAT IN DEALING WITH THESE LONG ESTABLISHED AND DEEPLY ENTRENCHED RACKETS, THE TWIN ARMS OF POLICY -- CONTROLLED BETTING CENTRES AND STRONGER POWERS SHOULD YIELD RESULTS.+

+ I SHOULD LIKE TO REVIEW THE MATTER AGAIN NEXT SUMMER AFTER NEW POWERS HAVE BEEN USED IN EARNEST, HE ADDED.

REPLYING TO ANOTHER QUESTION FROM MR. WONG ON THE GENERAL REACTION OF RESIDENTS IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES TO THE SETTING UP OF OFF-COURSE BETTING OFFICES, MR. BRAY SAID IT WAS DIFFICULT TO GENERALISE REACTION OF HOUSING ESTATE RESIDENTS ACROSS THE BOARD.

+THEY COMPRISE NEARLY HALF THE POPULATION AND THEIR REACTIONS ARE PROBABLY MUCH THE SAME AS ANYONE ELSE -- A PRETTY GOOD MIXTURE, HE SAID.

HE POINTED OUT THAT ONLY THREE BETTING OFFICES HAD BEEN SET UP IN HOUSING ESTATES AND THAT THEY HAD ALL BEEN WELL PATRONISED AND HAD NOT CAUSED COMPLAINT.

+ONE WAS PROPOSED FOR KO CHIU ROAD ESTATE AND WAS RESISTED, + HE ADDED.

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