To authorize and control the promotion and conduct of Government lotteries and matters ancillary thereto.
[31 March 1962]
(Format changes—E.R. 1 of 2019)
This Ordinance may be cited as the Government Lotteries Ordinance.
In this Ordinance, unless the context otherwise requires—
Chairman (主席) means the chairman of the Government Lotteries Management Committee; Committee (委員會) means the Government Lotteries Management Committee appointed in accordance with section 3; gale warning (烈風警告) means a warning of the occurrence of a tropical cyclone in, or in the vicinity of, Hong Kong by the display of any of the local visual storm warning signals referred to in section 5(1)(a)(i) of the Judicial Proceedings (Adjournment During Gale Warnings) Ordinance (Cap. 62); (Added 66 of 1973 s. 2. Amended 41 of 1993 s. 9) Lotteries Fund (獎券基金) means the Lotteries Fund established by resolution made and passed by the Legislative Council on 30 June 1965 and published in the Gazette; (Added 33 of 1967 s. 2. Amended E.R. 1 of 2019) lottery (獎券、獎券活動) means any scheme for distributing prizes by lot or chance which is promoted and conducted by the Committee; member (成員), in relation to the Committee, includes the Chairman; ticket (彩票), in relation to any lottery or proposed lottery, means any document issued by the Committee evidencing the claim of a person to participate in the chances of such lottery.The Chief Executive may by notification in the Gazette appoint a standing committee to be known as the Government Lotteries Management Committee.
The Committee shall consist of a Chairman and not less than 3 nor more than 5 members who shall be appointed by the Chief Executive by notification in the Gazette. (Amended E.R. 1 of 2019)
(Amended 68 of 1999 s. 3)
The Committee shall meet at such times and at such places as the Chairman may appoint.
At any meeting of the Committee the Chairman shall preside:Provided that if at any meeting the Chairman is absent there shall preside either—(a)such member as the Chairman may in his discretion direct to preside for the purposes of that meeting; or(b)in the absence of any such direction by the Chairman, 1 member of the Committee elected from among those members present at such meeting. (Amended E.R. 1 of 2019)
At any meeting of the Committee 3 members shall be a quorum. (Amended E.R. 1 of 2019)
The validity of any proceedings of the Committee shall not be affected by any vacancy among the members thereof or by any defect in the appointment of any member thereof.
Any question to be determined at a meeting of the Committee shall be determined by a majority of the members present and voting thereon.
The Chairman at any meeting of the Committee shall have an original vote and also, if upon any question the votes shall be equally divided, a casting vote.
The Committee may make standing orders for regulating the procedure at, and in connexion with, its meetings.
It shall be the duty of the Committee from time to time to conduct or cause to be conducted lotteries and to do such other things as the Chief Executive may, subject to the provisions of this Ordinance or any rules made thereunder, direct in connexion therewith.
(Amended 68 of 1999 s. 3)
The proceeds of the sale of tickets in a lottery shall be paid into the Lotteries Fund as soon as practicable after the sale of such tickets.
Sixty per cent, or as close to that proportion as is practicable, of the proceeds of the sale of tickets in a lottery shall be apportioned as prizes in such manner as the Committee, subject to the direction of the Chief Executive, may determine. (Amended 68 of 1999 s. 3)
All expenses arising out of the conduct of a lottery or the operation of the Committee shall be paid out of the Lotteries Fund.
The Financial Secretary, after making due allowance for any payments which may be outstanding under subsections (2) and (3), may appropriate from the Lotteries Fund moneys for the purpose of financing, by way of grant, loan or advance, the support and development of such social welfare services in Hong Kong as the Chief Executive, after consultation with the Social Welfare Advisory Committee, may approve. (Amended 66 of 1973 s. 3; 68 of 1999 s. 3)
(Repealed 66 of 1973 s. 3)
The Legislative Council may by resolution amend subsection (2) so as to vary the proportion of the proceeds of the sale of tickets in a lottery which is to be apportioned as prizes.
(Replaced 33 of 1967 s. 3)
The Director of Accounting Services shall cause proper accounts to be kept of all transactions of the Lotteries Fund and shall cause to be prepared for every period of 12 months ending on 31 March in each year a statement of the accounts of the Lotteries Fund, which statement shall include a receipts and payments account and statement of assets and liabilities and shall be signed by the Director of Accounting Services. (Amended L.N. 16 of 1977; L.N. 453 of 1993)
The accounts of the Lotteries Fund and the signed statement of the accounts shall be audited by the Director of Audit, who shall certify the statement and make such report as he thinks fit. (Added 66 of 1973 s. 4)
A copy of the signed and audited statement of accounts and of any report by the Director of Audit shall be laid on the table of the Legislative Council not later than 31 December next following the end of such period or so soon thereafter as the Chief Executive may allow. (Amended 68 of 1999 s. 3)
(Replaced 33 of 1967 s. 4. Amended 66 of 1973 s. 4; E.R. 1 of 2019)
The Financial Secretary may direct that an annual supervision fee to be determined by him shall be charged against the income of the Lotteries Fund and paid into the general revenue.
(Added 33 of 1967 s. 4. Amended 68 of 1999 s. 3)
The Chief Executive may make rules providing for— (Amended 68 of 1999 s. 3)
the appointment of and the conditions to be observed by agents for the sale of tickets for lotteries and the rights, liabilities and obligations of such agents and commissions payable in connexion therewith;
the form and contents of tickets for lotteries;
the information to be published concerning lotteries and the manner in which such information shall be published;
the manner in which any drawing for the allotment of prizes shall be undertaken, including the persons who shall be present at any such drawing and their powers and duties in relation thereto;
the manner in which any dispute or difficulty which may arise as to the conduct of any lottery or the drawing for the allotment of any prize in respect thereof shall be determined;
the time within which and the manner in which lottery prizes shall be claimed;
the disposal of unclaimed prizes or money or prizes or money as to which any dispute has arisen;
such other matters as the Chief Executive may consider expedient to give effect to the purposes of this Ordinance; (Amended 68 of 1999 s. 3)
the postponement of the drawing of any lottery which is due to take place within the duration of a gale warning. (Added 66 of 1973 s. 5)
Any person who obstructs or impedes the drawing of any lottery, or creates any disturbance at or near any place at which any lottery is being or is about to be drawn, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine at level 1 and to imprisonment for 3 months.
(Amended E.R. 5 of 2021)
(Repealed 49 of 1992 s. 5)
Nothing contained in the Gambling Ordinance (Cap. 148) shall apply to any lottery to which the provisions of this Ordinance apply.