Sales of the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s (HKJC) will this week resume retail sales of its Mark Six lottery tickets at its off-course betting branches (OCBBs) for the first time since February.
Tickets will be sold across the Jockey Club’s retail estate from Friday 16 October, following an internal review of current restrictions in place as a result of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
Strict capacity limits and social distancing measures will remain in place across its outlets, HJKC added.
As well as once again permitting over-the-counter sales, customers will also be able to set up ewallets at its branches, which allow players to make purchases and receive winnings either through self-service terminals or remotely.
Mark Six draws were suspended in February at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in Asia, and only resumed in late September. However, the resumption saw sales restricted to HKJC’s online site and via its telephone betting service.
The OCBBs themselves were shuttered as a result of the pandemic in February, and did not begin reopening until June – and then only on racedays – before shutting again in July amid rising cases of Covid-19. They then reopened from 29 August.
They remain subject to entry restrictions, with customers required to have their temperature checked before being granted entry, and to wear face masks while inside the properties.
For the fiscal year ended 30 June 2020, HKJC reported a 39.0% year-on-year drop in Mark Six turnover to HK$5.16bn. While this decline was exacerbated by the pandemic, the operator noted that it was likely to have seen turnover fall regardless due to a lack of significant updates to the game since 2002.
