Over the last four decades, the Mark Six has become hugely popular and a hot topic of conversation among Hong Kong people. The second of four specially commissioned programmes commemorating the 40th Anniversary will share some fun facts.
The Mark Six has brought hope to many people, and some have developed their own ways of picking numbers. Some use their birthday, some prefer their wedding date, and some choose numbers according to the colour of the balls. For one draw held in March 1994, where there were 22 winning units for the First Prize, it turned out that all the drawn numbers formed a diagonal line across the ticket. Perhaps this was one of the “lucky” formulas.
Besides favourite numbers, some people prefer to buy Mark Six tickets at the “luckiest” Off-Course Betting Branch (OCBB). According to records, the OCBB on Stanley Street in Central is the “luckiest” OCBB, with more than 40 first-prize winning tickets having been sold there since 1994. This helps explain the long queues outside this OCBB whenever Mark Six draw carries huge jackpots.
The Mark Six also has its own “lucky” number. Since draw numbers were increased to 49 in 2002, number “10” has been drawn more than 330 times.
Here are some more fun facts.
Highest turnover in the last 40 years
- $348,420,150 for the draw held on 13 September 2014.
Highest First Prize payout in the last 40 years (for a $10 winning unit)
- There was one single first prize for the draw held on 10 December 2013. The payout was $90,951,590.
Highest First Division Prize Fund in the last 40 years
- The first division prize fund reached $164,492,500 for the draw held on 13 September 2014. There were eventually two winning units, each unit being paid $82,246,250.
Highest number of First Prize winning units in the last 40 years
- There were a total of 39 winning units for the Snowball draw held on 5 July 1997 to celebrate the return of Hong Kong to the Mainland. The payout for each winning unit was $705,770.
Number of winners of the ten million dollar First Prize (since the draw numbers were increased to 49)
- Over 500 people have won the ten million dollar plus first prize since draw numbers were increased to 49.
Lottery Duty paid to the Government over the last 40 years
- The Mark Six has generated more than $37 billion in Lottery Duty for the Government over the last 40 years.
Contribution to Lotteries Fund supporting welfare services over the last 40 years
- The Mark Six has provided more than $20 billion for the Lotteries Fund over the last 40 years.
Amount needed to make a “full field” multiple selection
- Per $10 bet: $139,838,160
- Per $5 bet: $69,919,080
Hosted by movie star and singer Julian Cheung (Photo), programmes commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Mark Six are now available on the Anniversary webpage (www.campaign.hkjc.com/marksix40) and at all Off-Course Betting Branches.
|
Photo 1
|
