Over the past 40 years, the Mark Six lottery has brought not only hope to countless Hong Kong people but also many benefits to society through the Government’s Lottery Duty and Lotteries Fund. This is the theme of the third of four specially commissioned programmes commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Mark Six.
Apart from paying prize money to lottery winners, a large portion of the sales proceeds of the Mark Six – 40% of total proceeds - are returned to the community via the Lottery Duty and Lotteries Fund. Since the introduction of the Mark Six lottery, cumulative Lottery Duty has exceeded $37 billion while cumulative Lotteries Fund contributions have exceeded $20 billion, bringing a total of over $57 billion in social benefits to the community.
The proceeds from the Mark Six Lottery are the main source of income of the Lotteries Fund, which is administered by the Director of Social Welfare Department. The Fund is primarily used to finance welfare services and to provide grants for experimental projects with limited duration. In the past 40 years, more than 20,000 projects involving over 300 beneficiary organisations have been supported by the Fund.
The Lotteries Fund has supported many elderly, rehabilitation, family and child welfare, youth and social welfare projects. For example, with assistance from the Lotteries Fund, the Government launched the first phase pilot scheme of the Community Service Voucher for the Elderly in 2013. In 2015 the Lotteries Fund also supported the redevelopment of the former Siu Lam Hospital in Tuen Mun and the former Kai Nang Sheltered Workshop and Hostel in Kwun Tong into two integrated rehabilitation services complexes.
Through the Lotteries Fund, Mark Six sales proceeds have also supported special projects to address urgent and immediate social needs. For instance, in 2003, at a time of unemployment following the SARS crisis, the Lotteries Fund and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust each committed $100 million to support over 100 employment assistance projects to help unemployed people get back to work and so relieve pressure on the social security network.
For the Mark Six 40th Anniversary programmes, please visit its webpage www.campaign.hkjc.com/marksix40 or watch them at any Off-Course Betting Branch.
*Customers must be aged 18 and above
