Hong Kong

Home to nearly 7 million residents, Hong Kong is without doubt one of the most exciting cities in the world. Today's Hong Kong is one of China's two special administrative regions; the other being Macau. The area comprises over 260 islands situated on the eastern side of the Pearl River Delta, with the Guangdong province border to the north and the South China Sea to the east, south and west.

Gambling in Hong Kong
Gambling is against the law in Hong Kong except when betting on horse races, sports betting and lottery, all of which fall under the management of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), which enjoys a government-granted monopoly. Horseracing tops the list as the most popular spectator sport in Hong Kong. The Jockey Club also controls Hong Kong's Mark Six lottery, as well as offers betting on football/soccer games played outside Hong Kong.


The Jockey Club functions as a non-profit organization whose profits go towards helping a number of charities. Over the past decade the Club has donated an estimated HK$1 billion (approx. US$130 million) each year. The Jockey Club also ranks as one of Hong Kong's biggest employers with 4,400 full-time and 20,000 part-time staff, and is also Hong Kong's largest taxpayer.


History of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Founded in 1884 to promote horseracing, the Hong Kong Jockey Club is one Hong Kong's oldest institutions. Under British rule - and until 1996 - the Club operated under the name "The Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club" and regularly hosted royals and other VIPs. Today's HKJC supervises wagering on horse racing, sports betting and lottery. Almost 700 horse races are held annually at its two racetracks, Happy Valley and Sha Tin.


Hotels & Dining
Surveys of both tourists and business travellers consistently rate Hong Kong's finer hotels along with the best in the world. Topping this exclusive list of hotels are the Peninsula, the Regent, the Grand Hyatt and the Mandarin. These hotels also compete fiercely with one another for top ratings from diners. Thus it's not surprising that Hong Kong's finest restaurants are also owned and operated by the major hotels.

For instance, The Peninsula hotel offers two delectable options, Felix and Gaddi's, as does the Grand Hyatt Hotel with Grissini and One Harbour Road. The Regent Hotel features Yu Restaurant at the Regent, and the Peak Galleria features the Cafe Deco at the Peak. Virtually any dish one can imagine can be found in Hong Kong, plus at a wide range of price levels, from casual cafes to haute cuisine.

To Do or Not To Do
Along with first-rate gambling facilities, Hong Kong promises visitors virtually every form of entertainment a traveller can dream of. Need a break from the gambling scene? Check out Hong Kong Disneyland, the world's 5th Disney theme park. There's no shortage of fun here.


Visitors can also enjoy one of the many harbour cruises, the Symphony of Lights, amazing shopping, as well as delightful walks amid lush greenery. Also, getting around Hong Kong is a breeze as the city boasts (and rightfully so) one of the best transportation systems in the world.

PrintSend to friend