Hong Kong hits back at Brit bookie

HONG KONG'S august Jockey Club is getting the whip out to defend its turf against an invasion by British bookmaker William Hill. The Jockey Club, which has a monopoly on betting in Hong Kong, is incensed that the firm has started taking internet bets on races at the Happy Valley and Sha Tin tracks.

William Hill's assault on Hong Kong started last month when it opened its books on a meeting at Sha Tin. This provoked instant calls from Jockey Club officials for a speeding up of changes in gambling laws to outlaw internet bookmaking by offshore agencies which are nibbling at the huge amounts of money punted by locals.

'The aggressive and well funded attacks on Hong Kong betting revenues waged by William Hill, Easinumbers.com and other unauthorised offshore or illegal bookmakers paint a clear picture as to why Hong Kong must move quickly to amend the existing Gambling Ordinance,' the club said in a statement.

William Hill replied by assuring the Jockey Club it would offer a limited service, with no 'exotic' bets and winnings limited to £100,000 - a relatively modest sum compared with the massive purses for winners of Hong Kong's roll-up bets such as the popular Triple Trio. This has not placated the influential Jockey Club. Before the handover to China in 1997, it was often said the real power lay with the Royal Hong Jockey Club and the exclusive Hong Kong Club, not the Governor or his executive council.

The revenue it gets from the annual £7.5bn bet on horses and the Mark 6 lottery play a crucial role in Hong Kong's finances. The club provides 10% of the territory's tax revenue and spends around £90m a year on charitable works.

Hong Kong is populated by children's hospitals, sports centres and old people's homes funded by Jockey Club takings and it has been quick to play up its philanthropic role. 'Illegal and unauthorised offshore bookmakers contributed nothing to the community and siphoned off dollars that would have otherwise generated valuable community assets,' it said.

William Hill is unmoved, saying it will continue taking online bets even if the laws in Hong Kong were changed, as it was in compliance with UK laws. Its spokesman, David Hood, said: 'The take-up has been very good. This is the way the business has been going in the past two or three years, from being domestic-based to a truly global marketplace.'