XN000022-1992-01-22 — Page 8

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 1992

PUBLIC TO BE CONSULTED ON MARK SIX OUTLETS: SHA

IS

TICKETS, LEGISLATIVE

PUBLIC CONSULTATION WILL BE CARRIED OUT BEFORE ANY DECISION TAKEN ON THE FURTHER EXTENSION OF SALES OUTLETS FOR MARK SIX THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, MR MICHAEL SUEN, TOLD THE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON HUI YIN-FAT, MR

TO A SUEN SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS COMMITTED

REVIEW OF THE TRIAL KONG TELECOM SCHEME ON THE SALE OF THESE TICKETS AT HONG

CSL SHOPS

WHEN IT ENDS IN APRIL THIS YEAR.

"IN PREPARATION FOR THIS REVIEW A PUBLIC OPINION SURVEY НАВ BEEN COMMISSIONED TO TRY TO ELICIT VIEWS ON THE TRIAL.

"THIS INFORMATION, TOGETHER WITH COMMENTS TO BE SOLICITED FROM DISTRICT BOARDS, WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT THE INFORMATION, WILL BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN REACHING A DECISION ON FUTURE OF THE SCHEME," HE SAID.

TURNING TO REPORTS THAT A NEWSPAPER'S INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT TEENAGERS WERE ABLE TO BUY MARK SIX TICKETS AT HONG KONG TELECOM CSL SHOPS, MR SUEN SAID THIS HAD COME AS NO SURPRISE.

HE POINTED OUT THAT ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS APPROVAL WAS GIVEN THE TO THE TRIAL WAS TO ALLOW THE GOVERNMENT, THE LOTTERIES BOARD AND

OF PUBLIC TO ASSESS THE ADVANTAGES AND LIMITATIONS

MARK MAKING TICKETS MORE ACCESSIBLE.

+

SIX

ALL OF THE

IN THIS CONNECTION, HE SAID IT WAS ESSENTIAL THAT ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE SALE OF MARK SIX TICKETS SHOULD BE TESTED THIS PERIOD.

AS TO THE NEWSPAPER'S INVESTIGATION, MR SUEN SAID IT WISHED TO TEST THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CONTROLS OVER SALE OF TO TEENAGERS.

DURING

CLEARLY

TICKETS

"THE RESULTS SHOW THAT THIS ASPECT OF THE SCHEME MAY NEED REVIEW,' HE SAID.

BALANCE THE

HOWEVER, TO

PICTURE, MR SUEN NOTED THAT REPORTS REFERRED TO ONLY A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF TEENAGERS, APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGED TO BUY THE MARK SIX TICKETS FROM CSL SHOPS "DELIBERATELY TO TEST THE CONTROL SYSTEM".

AGENT

THE

WHO

THE

FOR

TO

HE SAID THE ROYAL HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB, WHO ACT AS

LTD. HAD STUDIED THE LOTTERIES BOARD, AND HONG KONG TELECOM CSL CO. THE REPORTS VERY CAREFULLY AND HAD REVIEWED EXISTING ARRANGEMENTS THE CONTROL OF THE SALE OF MARK SIX TICKETS TO TEENAGERS.

"THEY ARE SATISFIED THAT WITH MINOR ADJUSTMENTS, THESE ARE SUFFICIENT TO ENSURE THAT ALL BUT THE MOST DETERMINED

WILL CSL SHOPS, MR BE UNABLE TO PURCHASE MARK SIX TICKETS THROUGH

SUEN

SAID.

TEENAGERS

"

THE SECRETARY STRESSED THAT THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY HAD ALWAYS ALLOW CONTROLLED BEEN TO RESTRICT OPPORTUNITIES FOR GAMBLING BUT TO OUTLETS FOR EXISTING GAMBLING ACTIVITIES TO COUNTER ILLEGAL GAMBLING.

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