HONG KONG PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
275
amendment to the motion from Mr. Lai Hok-lim made in accordance with Standing Order 21 (12A). Would Mr. Lai move his amendment and speak?
Mr. Lai Hok-LIM moved the following amendment under Standing Order 21(12A):-
RESOLVED that the Council should strengthen the control on mechanical amusement games venues to vigorously stamp out unlicensed operations in order to ensure public security; the Council should also urge the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority to prohibit the mechanical amusement games venues from providing gambling games in order to avoid affecting the healthy development of children.
He said (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, we are in strong support of Mr. WONG Kwok-hing's motion which requests that control over mechanical games venues be strengthened. On the other hand, the amendment to the motion mainly focuses on the enforcement aspect.
There is some inaccuracy in the original motion in that under Section 22(1)(a)(iii) of the Gambling Ordinance, it is stipulated in connection with games of a gambling nature that 'the Commissioner for TELA may by licence authorize the organization and conduct of a game of amusement with prizes to be conducted on premises licensed under Section 4 of the Places of Public Entertainment Ordinance (Chapter 172)' and that any unlicensed game of amusement with prizes will be considered illegal gambling. Under the Gambling Ordinance, prosecution and arrest are made by the enforcement authorities including the police.
We have moved the amendment in order to clear this misunderstanding in Mr. WONG Kwok-hing's original motion. We consider it improper to mix the two things in the original motion. The aim of our amendment is to request that the Council, within its powers, should strengthen control over mechanical games venues and stamp out unlicensed operations, but when games of a prize-winning and gambling nature are involved, the powers do not rest with the Council. They rest with the Commissioner for TELA.
This being the case, there is a need to clarify the responsibility mentioned in the motion, otherwise, if the Council was mistaken for possessing the powers to control gambling games, there would be a fallacy in the motion. We hope that we can clearly distinguish the two things from each other by specifying that all games of a prize-winning and gambling nature are within the purview of TELA. We hope that the Council will urge them to prohibit these venues from providing games of a strong gambling nature. Under the Gambling Ordinance, the coverage of this type of prize-winning and gambling games is very wide and any game which can win a prize is governed by the Gambling Ordinance. Did we refer to all the prize-winning games? No, this was not what we meant. I believe that was what Mr. WONG meant too, that is, we do not
Page 276 of 654
Page 276 of 654
HONG KONG PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
275
amendment to the motion from Mr. Lai Hok-lim made in accordance with Standing Order 21 (12A). Would Mr. Lat move his amendment and speak?
Mr. Lai Hok-LIM moved the following amendment under Standing Order 21(12A):-
RESOLVED that the Council should strengthen the control on mechanical amusement games venues to vigorously stamp out unlicensed operations in order to ensure public security; the Council should also urge the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority to prohibit the mechanical amusement games venues from providing gambling games in order to avoid affecting the healthy development of children.
He said (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, we are in strong support of Mr. WONG Kwok-hing's motion which requests that control over mechanical games venues be strengthened. On the other hand, the amendment to the motion mainly focuses on the enforcement aspect.
There is some inaccuracy in the original motion in that under Section 22(1)(a)(iii) of the Gambling Ordinance, it is stipulated in connection with games of a gambling nature that *the Commissioner for TELA may by licence authorize the organization and conduct of a game of amusement with prizes to be conducted on premises licensed under Section 4 of the Places of Public Entertainment Ordinance (Chapter 172)' and that any unlicensed game of amusement with prizes will be considered illegal gambling. Under the Gambling Ordinance, prosecution and arrest are made by the enforcement authorities including the police.
We have moved the amendment in order to clear this misunderstanding in Mr. WONG Kwok-hing's original motion. We consider it improper to mix the two things in the original motion. The aim of our amendment is to request that the Council, within its powers, should strengthen control over mechanical games venues and stamp out unlicensed operations, but when games of a prize- winning and gambling nature are involved, the powers do not rest with the Council. They rest with the Commissioner for TELA.
This being the case, there is a need to clarify the responsibility mentioned in the motion, otherwise, if the Council was mistaken for possessing the powers to control gambling games, there would be a fallacy in the motion. We hope that we can clearly distinguish the two things from each other by specifying that all games of a prize-winning and gambling nature are within the purview of TELA. We hope that the Council will urge them to prohibit these venues from providing games of a strong gambling nature. Under the Gambling Ordinance, the coverage of this type of prize-winning and gambling games is very wide and any game which can win a prize is governed by the Gambling Ordinance. Did we refer to all the prize-winning games? No, this was not what we meant. I believe that was what Mr. WONG meant too, that is, we do not
Page 276 of 654
Page 276 of 654
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.