Mark Six HK$30 million prize dispute heads to court
SCMP · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A group of 14 government employees may have to pursue civil action to recover their shares of a HK$30 million Mark Six prize after a colleague allegedly refused to divide the winnings and disappeared from work for five days. Lawyer Vitus Leung Wing-hang said the suspect’s arrest on suspicion of theft does not mean the frozen money can be released directly to the other contributors
Key Points
- The dispute involves 15 staff at a Food and Environmental Hygiene Department office who had all contributed to a pooled fund for Mark Six tickets
- The group won HK$30 million in the September 5 draw, part of the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s record HK$228 million “snowball” jackpot for Mark Six’s 50th anniversary
- According to the report, the 36-year-old suspect argued he deserved a larger share because he bought the tickets, despite all 15 contributing money
- After a meeting failed to produce agreement on splitting the prize, the man reportedly vanished from work for five days, prompting a 53-year-old colleague to go to police
- Police arrested the 36-year-old man on Friday on suspicion of theft and froze his bank account, including the HK$30 million windfall, pending investigation
Why It Matters
Even if prosecutors secure a conviction, the 14 colleagues may still need separate civil proceedings because the bank account is in the suspect’s name and may contain his own money mixed with the prize funds. The case points to the legal risks of informal lottery pools when ownership and distribution terms are not clearly documented in advance