Abstract
Underground "Mark Six" (UMS) has flourished in the illegal lottery market of mainland China in the past decade and become a stubborn gambling problem for law-enforcement departments regardless of numerous police crackdowns. This paper focuses on the legal loopholes and law-enforcement lapses to discuss the intractability of UMS, based on a documentary analysis and the in-depth interviews with police officers. It first illustrates the immaturity of Chinese lottery market and the fragmentation of existing laws and regulations on gambling and lottery in mainland China. Drawing upon relevant laws in Hong Kong and Macao, this article points out the legislative weaknesses in the mainland (e.g. the lack of explicit definition of lottery as well as gambling, the unclear responsibility of various law-enforcement departments, and the over-lenient punishment imposed on bettors). We further demonstrate the inadequacy of law-enforcement departments in fighting UMS activities and regulating current legitimate lottery market. This article concludes by emphasizing the urgency of promulgating a professional lottery law and the necessity of enforcing the laws strictly to eradicate UMS activities effectively.
| Original language | English |
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| Publication status | Published - 3 Dec 2011 |
| Event | 13th Annual Conference of Hong Kong Sociological Association - Hong Kong, RPC, China Duration: 3 Dec 2011 → 3 Dec 2011 |
Conference
| Conference | 13th Annual Conference of Hong Kong Sociological Association |
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| Country/Territory | China |
| City | Hong Kong, RPC |
| Period | 3/12/11 → 3/12/11 |