Families in countryside bet 3.3b yuan on illegal Mark Six draws, survey shows
Guangdong's rural residents spent 3.32 billion yuan on illicit Mark Six wagers last year, despite a crackdown on illegal betting on the Hong Kong lottery, according to a survey.
The Guangdong Rural Social and Economic Research Office polled 2,460 households in 29 counties on the gambling issue last December.
Some 791 families, or 32.2 per cent, said they participated in the underground draw. They bet a total of 566,243 yuan, won 301,938 yuan, and lost 264,305 yuan.
Based on the finding that each rural household on average spends 230.2 yuan on the lottery every year, the survey estimated that 14.4 million families in the countryside had placed bets totalling 3.32 billion yuan last year.
This had led to an estimated 1.33 billion yuan in lost tax revenue and social welfare subsidies, it said.
The survey pointed out that urban dwellers were also into the game. It estimated that the whole province spent 5 billion yuan wagering on the Mark Six.
