COMPUTER SEIZURES ??

[hobbes]

Sunday April 7 2002
Computers might be seized in bets purge
Ng Kang-chung
Gamblers placing bets with overseas bookmakers via the Internet could have their home computers seized under controversial amendments to the gambling ordinance which are to be pushed through the legislature next month.
A senior official also said yesterday that telecommunications companies could be asked to help track down online offshore gambling.
The Government will decide whether to legalise gambling on football matches after the World Cup, depending on how well the amendments stop illicit soccer betting, according to Deputy Secretary for Home Affairs Stephen Fisher.
Mr Fisher, speaking on RTHK, defended the bill, saying offshore gambling had seriously hit the Government's tax revenue from betting. He admitted it would be difficult to police Internet gambling, but said: 'We do not necessarily have to monitor all Internet deals.
'If we find that someone regularly makes calls to an overseas destination and we find that it is a gambling company, we may ask the telephone company to help.'
He did not rule out the possibility of police raiding a gambler's home to arrest the person and seize the computer if there was substantive evidence.
Under the proposed amendments, anyone in Hong Kong who places a bet with a bookmaker outside Hong Kong will be guilty of a criminal offence.
It will also be a criminal offence for bookmakers to receive bets from the SAR, irrespective of whether the bookmakers are based in Hong Kong or overseas.
Maximum penalties include a $5 million fine and seven years' jail. Bookmakers who had accepted bets would be arrested once they entered Hong Kong, Mr Fisher said.
Legislators doubt Internet gambling can be properly policed. Democrat Andrew Cheng Kar-foo said: 'I cannot imagine that any overseas police agency would help Hong Kong collect evidence to prove that an SAR resident had placed a bet with a gambling company there.'
F...... idiots. have they not heard of king canute because they have about as much chance as he. ( or a snowflakes chance in hell ).

[hobbes]

:rolleyes: :eek: :p :eek: :rolleyes:

[shapke]

Agreed, however, I suggest that this is partly (im)practical and partly political.
The HKJC's best weapon agst illegals is the ability to alter its takeout rate and reduce the viability of the illegal business.
However, to ask for only that would seem unusual to the govt since govts usually react to anything threatening by making it illegal rather than attacking its business. Thus, the HKJC had to request and continue to speak out on this bill as a means to combat the "evildoers who are taking so much money, ultimately off the govt."
In the end, as we know, it doesn't work and I feel certain the Jockey Club officials - at least the smarter ones - realise that but continue to push for it as the first leg of the double. The second leg involves politicians having to deal with the idea of possibly taking less so they possibly may get more, a concept with which pollies and their bean counters are wholly uncomfortable the world over. The first leg is something to make them comfortable and then a little concerned when it doesn't work. :cool:
________
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[masun]

The second leg involves politicians having to deal with the idea of possibly taking less so they possibly may get more, a concept with which pollies and their bean counters are wholly uncomfortable the world over.
As reported on p. 1 in today's Business Post, recently in Singapore a government-appointed committee proposed that top corporate and income tax rates be reduced to 20% from 24.5% and 26% respectively. So all is not lost; there are still some people who are smart enough to realise that "less is more".

[gelded]

I remember the story about another of ICAC's unsuccessful raids a few years ago.
Computers were taken as evidence, including the childrens playstation!

[Scarper]

Good point shapke. Never thought of it as a lead up to the previously unimaginable reduction of gov tax.
I still believe the reduction in tax will need to be quite severe to force illegals out. 17.5% is a lot of room to make a bit.
I think England has made a very smart decision in swapping from betting tax to profits tax - this should allow UK bookies to reduce take and maybe incease T/O, and should also attract international internet gambling sites/companies to the UK.