Hong Kong looks to football for fillip
DESPERATE to curb a yawning budget deficit, Hong Kong's government is looking for salvation on the football field, legalising betting on the game for the first time in an effort to raise additional revenue.
Gambling-mad locals, who wager millions each year on horse racing and a citywide lottery, will be able from this Friday to place their first football bets on leading European teams. It is estimated that the scheme could net the authorities HK$1.5bn (£119m) a year. Hong Kongers have long punted on Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea, which have considerable followings in the former colony. But the territory's football betting system has been controlled by illegal, underground bookmakers.
The above-board scheme will be administered by the not-for-profit Hong Kong Jockey Club, which already has monopoly rights for horse racing and the ever-popular Mark Six lottery.
Half of the net income from bets on David Beckham, Roy Keane and their well-paid peers will go into State coffers. 'The club starts its operation with major European leagues and tournaments because these matches are the focus of illegal bookmaking activities,' said Henry Chan, the HKJC's executive director for betting, in the run-up to this week's launch.
The extra income will be a boon for the territory's government, which is facing persistent budget deficits but has struggled to devise politically acceptable new ways to boost its income.
