Casinos

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 05/14/2010 - 13:15

Were there ever any legally operated casinos in Hong Kong? 

Hi there,

Not exactly casinos, but there are those so called 'Mahjong Schools' around where citizens and guests could play Mahjong.

There are ocean going ships based in Hong Kong that you may hop onto.  They would open up their casinos after going beyond Hong Kong waters, which is out of local Jurisdictions.

Best Regards,

T

TX for your reply.  So basically, the answer was "no" other than the "majong" schools and the gamblers junket oceanliner.  Do you know if the oceanliner junket is still in operation? 

Hi there,

Try Star Cruises as starters.  Just Google it and there should be loads of information.  There are some smaller liners in the same business around and some local travel agencies might act as their agents.

Best Regards,

T

Another instance of Chinese enterprise is the attempt made, in July 1873, to run steam-ferries between Hongkong and Kowloon city, though the movement was stopped at the time through the action of the British Consul in Canton, who represented to the Viceroy that the ferry-boats were merely intended to bring customers from Hongkong to the Kowloon gambling houses.

http://www.archive.org/stream/europeinchinahis00eiterich/europeinchinah…

 

I've seen a woodblock print of "catching the last ferry from Kowloon" gambling houses.

 

the ferry-boats were merely intended to bring customers from Hongkong to the Kowloon gambling houses.

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Are you saying that there WERE gambling houses in Kowloon?   1873 was BEFORE the New Territories was leased to the Brit, so Kowloon at that time must be extremely small and sparsely populated.  May I ask, if there was NO steam-ferries, how did the residents of HK island commute/travel to kowloon and vice versa - by sampans?

This is getting much interesting..........

mid 19C Portugal reorganised its Asian Empire previously it had been based at Goa, now Macau had to financially carry Solor and East Timor, both financial liabilities as Solor's industry was nutmeg. This upset the Dutch as it stopped them having amonopoly. East Timor had cut down their last sandalwood tree , their big business.

So Macaus Gov introduced gambling, 'the gambling farm' and what's more he let them handle the law and order, all the police had to do was say to them we are looking for 'Chan Tai Man' and he would be found they were extremely efficient

The Govof Macau suggested it to the Gov of HK Bowring, having gambling houses with a policing role, London turned it down

i got this from Coate's Macau book anyone know when they stopped this frightening  system?

For a short period, between 1867 and 1871, was the only time that gambling was officially allowed in Hong Kong, and only fantan houses. This is as far as I found on my research about Macau gambling history. See more at my blog Macau Antigo.