Gaming in Macau: new bill bans sales of Mark Six lottery
The new law on gambling crimes prohibits the sale of tickets.
Macau.- It turns out that the bill on Combating Illegal Gambling Crimes approved this month prohibits the sale of the Mark Six lottery organised by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC). According to Macau Business, sales will result in a maximum prison term of two years or financial penalties.
Lawmaker Ron Lam had called for the activity to be excluded, arguing that Mark Six lottery tickets were often sold by small local shops that did not engage in organised illegal operations. However, Cheong Weng Chon, Macau’s secretary for administration and justice, argued during the final reading that a ban was needed to prevent young people from easily accessing lottery tickets.
Two arrested
A married couple has already been arrested in northern Macau for selling tickets at their corner shop. They were found with 58 lottery tickets. The couple were said to have made MOP1,960 (US$245) in profits since they started selling Mark Six lottery tickets in February. The female suspect was allegedly caught pushing tickets to passers-by on the street and said she had acquired the tickets from a man in mainland China.
The new bill also bans the operation, promotion, and organisation of online gambling and mutual betting irrespective of the physical location of associated systems and devices and enables searches of residences from 9pm to 7am. It also restricts detainee communication before judicial interrogation.
