TNAG-1552-FCO40-2116-Hong-Kong-illegal-betting-syndicate-1986 — Page 4

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The Hong Kong University Social Sciences Students' Society published a survey report in November 1977 suggesting that the number of people taking to gambling had greatly increased, thereby giving rise to a serious social problem. The report immediately generated extensive public discussion on Government's gambling policy. Questions were subsequently raised in the Le gislative Council regarding the development of exotic bets and the effects of off-course betting centres on young people's gambling habit, Certain sections of the community, particularly the traditional sector and the Chinese news media, appeared to be sceptical about the positive value of combatting illegal gambling through diverting such activities into legal channels; they also called upon the Govern- ment not to allow the introduction of any new forms of gambling.

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Following such expression of public interests on the subject, the Home Affairs Department conducted a discreet sounding-out exercise in April 1978 on public attitudes towards gambling and the findings indicated that:

(a)

(b)

(c)

overall public attitudes towards existing forms of gambling have become more tolerant and permissive. Forse racing and the Mark Six lottery have generally been accepted by the punters as acceptable forms of recreation___ and are no more objectionable than, say, mahjong;

whilst accepting that legalisation of off- course betting has helped reducing illegal syndicated gambling, many people still have misgivings about a significant increase in gambling activities even if they be legal, The public would not like to see the Government introducing any further measures to encourage more gambling, for example, by legalising new forms of gambling such as greyhound betting or horse trotting;

the findings of HKU students' report appears to have been grossly exaggerated; there is little evidence that the report has had significant influence on the overall public attitudes as such, The report itself, though well covered by news. media, has not been widely read and no lasting effect could be detected of the adverse publicity against Government it has caused immediately upon its publication;

CONFIDENTIAL