Long queues in Hong Kong for HK$188 million Mark Six Lunar New Year draw

Hong Kong residents and tourists have formed long queues at betting outlets across the city for the largest-yet Mark Six Lunar New Year snowball draw of HK$188 million (US$24.2 million) to be held on Sunday.

In the early afternoon on Saturday, a queue stretching 60 metres (196 feet) was seen outside the Hong Kong Jockey Club betting branch in Central, with staff managing the crowd and holding up a sign to show where the line ended.

Selina Wong was one of the hopefuls who queued for 15 minutes before she was able to place a bet. She said she would continue to work even if she hit the jackpot and would give “a considerable amount” of her winnings to charity.

“I would also be able to let family retire and take care of them,” the lawyer in her twenties said. “I could have more extravagant holidays and do more things that would help my personal growth, such as taking courses.”

Also in the queue was Malaysian tourist Vanessa Yu, 23, who was travelling in Hong Kong over the Lunar New Year holiday with her parents, both in their fifties. She had to stand in line for about 45 minutes.

Yu, who works in marketing, said they stumbled on the long queue in Central and thought they would give it a go – their first bet in Hong Kong despite having visited numerous times.