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THE Jockey Club yesterday voiced concern about the spread of illegal bookmaking in new towns and housing estates.

Reporting an 8.9 per cent rise in overall betting turnover, a record $72.27 billion, for the season just ended, the club's chief executive, Major-General Guy Watkins, said yesterday: 'We believe there is a need for off-course betting centres in some of the new towns and housing estates.

'We are very concerned that illegal bookmakers are operating in these areas where there is a vacuum,' he said.

 Police statistics showed that last year 130 people were arrested and $323,030 in cash was seized in 56 illegal bookmaking operations, up from 88 people arrested and $32,290 seized in 35 raids in 1993.

Residents have opposed the opening of betting centres, citing the proximity of schools and colleges.

But the club described the attitude as counter-productive and said it was driving punters to illegal bookmakers. Legislative Councillor for New Territories North the Reverend Fung Chi-wood said illegal gambling was not a big enough problem to warrant more centres.

'I am still not convinced illegal betting is serious enough. Nowadays young people want more money to buy expensive things and it is a very big temptation for them to gamble, especially if betting centres are more accessible,' he said.

'If the police find they have a problem tackling illegal bookmaking . . . public forums should be held to decide whether new centres should be set up and where.' New Territories East legislator Albert Chan Wai-yip was concerned more betting centres could increase the already high incidence of domestic problems in the New Town areas.

'There are quite a lot of family tragedies in this area which have resulted from heavy gambling,' he said.

'It has destroyed many families so I do not support increasing betting centres. With the good financial situation of the Jockey Club, they should not have to have more centres.' 



Illegal bookies 'threat to club'