The Bonanza Gets Bigger

Cathay is offering a party flight to nowhere as a grand prize

 

There are so many lucky draws in Hong Kong for those who have been vaccinated with two jabs that the list grows by the day. At the moment the total amount of the prizes is worth HK$118 million.

Aside from the HK$10.8 million flat in Kwun Tong, the hotel chain Shangri-La is offering a year of stays at any of their 76 locations around the world, gold bars, a Tesla car, and even a party on a private flight (to no where by Cathay Pacific). 

But there are some stranger enticements.

Anyone want to win Regina Ip's watch?

Executive Councillor Bernard Charnwut Chan's insurance company is ponying up 1,000 medical body check -- some have joked if he will personally conduct these body checks...

And fellow Exco member Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee has dug into the bowels of her closet to find a diamond encrusted Rolex watch from 1991, and 5kg of some fine Chinese tea. However one has to be a member of the New People's Party to be eligible to enter.

That's OK -- I don't want her watch anyway.

Regardless, who doesn't want free MTR annual passes, shopping coupons and hotel staycations?

Get vaccinated!

 

Taking a Chance on Hainan

Tourists in Hainan will soon have horse racing to play along with surf and sand

The Chinese government is keen on developing Hainan into more than just "China's Hawaii" -- it's going to add horse racing and lotteries to the mix of entertainment that seems to be welcome news in the region.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club said in a statement that while "there has not been any discussion" so far with the Hainan authorities, but it would be pleased to exchange views on the promotion of equine sports there, if invited.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club welcomed the latest news

"The club is aware of the news reports that... the State Council... supports Hainan province developing equine sports," the club said.

Late on Saturday night the guidelines were released, a day after Xi Jinping announced plans to develop Hainan to have more economic freedom and greater market access.

While Beijing bans all kinds of gambling, it allows two types of lotteries, including one where punters predict the outcomes of international football [soccer] matches. It also allows horse racing but not betting. Sounds like an oxymoron, but that may change soon.

Since the 1990s there were attempts to get horse racing off the ground in China, with proposals in Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Nanjing. In 1992 a race course opened in Guangzhou, but was closed seven years later as an "unsatisfactory experiment".

Hainan's development will not impact Macau too much

Meanwhile analysts in Hong Kong believe this latest development will not impact Macau much, as the former Portuguese enclave has a fully developed industry that includes entertainment, conventions and exhibitions.

Hong Kong legislator Yiu Si-wing from the tourism sector believes the city can benefit from tourists who get a resort atmosphere from Hainan, and then the international city experience from Hong Kong.

With the central government's blessing, horse racing will happen soon -- but can you bet on it? Hard to say.

1,300 People Fight Over Four Flats

Flats at Parc City in Tsuen Wan are still being built, with almost all units sold

Yesterday the headlines were unbelievable but true -- 1,300 people were fighting over four flats in Parc City, Tsuen Wan.

That's because the owners of the four flats walked away from their transactions, giving up hundreds of thousands of dollars in deposits.

The flats ranged in size from 427 to 850 square feet, with prices from HK$6.04 million to HK$14.4 million.

Over 1,300 people tried for a chance to buy one of four flats

But the most sought-after flat was the smallest one, which was being offered for resale at the original price. But if the buyer paid in cash, the price was discounted to HK$5.89 million.

So how did they decide who got which flat in the end?

Each potential buyer had to pay a deposit and then their name was put into a lucky draw with the odds at more than 300 to 1 in being able to buy a flat.

While property agents claim this is evidence that the property market is still hot, it also clearly illustrates there is hardly enough supply.

The Lam administration really needs to tackle this urgent issue -- not only to help people have roofs over their heads, but also give hope to young people who feel owning a home is an impossible goal.

Picture of the Day: Better Luck Next Time?

Five tickets, and not much luck for this beginner punter

Tuesday was the 40th anniversary of Mark Six, the lottery in Hong Kong and it marked the milestone promising a HK$100 million (US$12.86 million) jackpot.

Naturally lots of people went to Jockey Club outlets to buy tickets, even first-timers like me.

On Sunday night there was a massive queue going out the door from the one in Kennedy Town, so I walked to the one in Sheung Wan and bought five tickets that are computer drawn at HK$20 each.

In the end HK$446 million worth of tickets were sold.

The numbers were drawn last night -- 11, 16, 19, 21, 30 and 33, the bonus number 31.

What did I get? One ticket had two numbers, the rest had one number or none.

But there were five lucky winners who won HK$27 million each.

I like many others knew the chances were slim, but as the saying goes, "You gotta be in it to win it".

Oh well.

Nevertheless, a good chunk of the money will be used to help Hong Kong's underprivileged, such as the elderly, the poor and young people seeing rehabilitation.

China Lottery Online Not a Safe Bet

Some punters here are hoping to beat the system at China Lottery Online

Those who play the lottery in China may want to think twice when they want to try their luck.

The National Audit Office reported a month ago that a whopping 16.9 billion yuan in lottery funds from 2012 to 2014 have still been unaccounted for.

Wang Wenzhi, a veteran journalist with the Xinhua-affiliated Economic Information Daily newspaper may have the answer.

He wrote a letter to the Ministry of Finance, that was later leaked online, claiming it was technically possible for employees of China Lottery Online to install malware in computer systems "to make themselves winners", he said.

State-owned China Lottery Online operates computerized video lottery terminals and games. It also draws winning numbers and pays out billions of yuan in prize money each year.

Journalist Wang Wenzhi has uncovered other scandals before

Wang claimed the concentration of these functions in one company opened the possibility for "irregularities" in the management of data, prizes and funds.

He also said the lottery company was inadequately supervised by the authorities.

This is not the first time Wang fired a warning shot.

In May he wrote a related article that although China Lottery Online is supposed to be a state-owned business, he said it was controlled by its general manager, He Wen, who owned 60 percent of the company.

Wang accused He of using lottery funds for the benefit of the family of an unnamed government official.

While China Lottery Online generates ticket sales of more than 130 billion yuan in the 12 years until July last year, He's firms earned more than 2 billion yuan from operating the lottery.

As a result, He sued the Economic Information Daily for defamation, but the newspaper has asked the court to adjourn the case because the Ministry of Civil Affairs is investigating.

Wang is not new to exposing corruption. In an online post last year, he claimed that Song Lin, then chairman of China Resources, had a mistress in Hong Kong who allegedly helped Song launder large amounts of money from corrupt deals.

Two days after the post, anti-graft officials announced an investigation into Song, who was later sacked by the company for "suspected serious violations of discipline and law".

Either Wang is doing excellent investigative journalism, which is very hard to do, but given his Xinhua credentials it is possible, or he's got some contacts on the inside who want to take down He, or a combination of both.

Regardless, how this story unfolds will be one to watch.