HK$115m up for grabs: Hong Kong punters queue into the night for tickets in record lottery jackpot
Run of eight Mark Six draws without a top prize fuels betting frenzy
There were long queues outside Jockey Club outlets well into Tuesday evening as punters put down last-minute bets for the biggest ever Mark Six jackpot of HK$115 million.
By 8pm, turnover had reached around HK$320 million, the fourth highest on record. The highest turnover of HK$446 million was recorded in March this year when the Jockey Club celebrated its 40th anniversary.
Ticket sales ended at 9.15pm, ahead of the draw 15 minutes later.
If I can win over HK$1 million, I will use the money to travel around the world
At a betting station in Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay, the queue was getting steadily longer in the early evening.
Heung Shu-fat, a 71-year-old retiree, put down HK$220 in the hope of becoming an instant millionaire. He said he had been betting on the Mark Six for more than 40 years but had never won more than HK$80.
“I hope I will have some old-age luck,” said Heung. “If I can win over HK$1 million, I will use the money to travel around the world.”
Chau Ka-wo, an interior decorator, said he had bought HK$100 worth of tickets earlier but lost them, so he had rushed out to buy another HK$100 lot.
