The idea was to take dog racing to the New Territories, but it wasn’t supported by the government nor by the population. The project was abandoned in 1967, after the opening of casinos in Hong Kong had also been rejected in the previous year.
The initiative belonged to an advisory body of the Administration of the New Territories. It was said there was a group of investors interested in building a Canidrome in Hong Kong and that if the New Territories didn’t accept it, they would be losing “the opportunity to reap some social benefits for our people”. Therefore, in the paper it was about bringing back prosperity to the most economically disadvantaged area of the then British colony, by attracting tourists and promoting trade. Proponents promised, however, to withdraw the proposal if anyone objected.
In favor of the idea was, among others, Arnaldo de Oliveira Sales, member of the Urban Council and prominent member of the Portuguese community in Hong Kong. Stressing that in the colony horse racing already existed in Happy Valley, which “was said to be among the heaviest in the world”, he told the press it was "sheer hypocrisy to suggest the people here are not already gambling as it pleases them."
But the media, in particular the Chinese press, was virtually unanimous in rejecting the proposal. Successive editorials questioned the economic benefits of the project and, on the other hand, drew attention to the fact that a report of a working party on gambling, appointed by the government, had already said that “dog-racing was not recommended for Hongkong”.
Stressing the moral reasons for opposing the proposal, the New Life Evening Post wrote that if the dog races were allowed in the New Territories it "would be reasonable to allow establishments such as brothels, obscene dance halls, opium dens and 'tse fa’ operations", an illegal lottery.
On May 9, the Joint Kaifong Research Council of the New Territories’ Neighborhoods Associations voted, by a large majority, to consider dog racing as "harmful, absurd and groundless" and demanded its withdrawal, which came to happen before the end of the month.
LAS VEGAS HAD AN EYE ON HONG KONG
The rejection of casinos in Hong Kong happened a year earlier, in 1966, following a broad public debate on the subject.
The issue became particularly relevant when, in March 1965, a representative of Webb Corporation, an investment group from Las Vegas, visited Hong Kong and presented a project for the opening of a casino in Kowloon, next to the train station.
Immediately there was speculation that they were in Hong Kong at the invitation of the Fu Tak Iam family, which in 1961 lost the Macau gaming monopoly to a group of businessmen led by Stanley Ho. Attracting Americans to Hong Kong would be a way of destabilizing the operation of the new concessionaire in Macau, while trying to return to a position of power in the sector.
But there were also those who argued that Stanley Ho himself was behind the presence of Webb Corporation in Hong Kong. After all, "one of his arguments for not moving faster with investments in Macau was the fear (of the Government of Macau) that gambling might be legalized in Hong Kong," stressed a situation report drafted for the Portuguese Overseas Minister, Silva Cunha.
However, the same report, dated May 18, 1965, cast doubt that opening casinos would ever be allowed in Hong Kong: "It is necessary to change the law and seek the consent and support of London, and as you know the English are not given to changes of this nature. On the other hand there is one so-called 'moralistic sector' in the legislative bodies of Hong Kong that are opposed to all gaming attempts. And above all there are the shareholders of the Jockey Club that profit from the big business of horse racing with their 'cash sweep' lottery, and who would not welcome competition from anyone."
The analysis proved to be right, but the rejection came from Hong Kong’s own population. In August 1966, a Hong Kong Gallup poll, commissioned by Asian Weekend, found that 69 percent of people questioned were against a legal casino being opened; 23 percent said they did not know; 3 percent did not answer; and only 5 percent said a casino should be opened.
With such clear results, the Hong Kong Tourist Association – one of the most influential lobbies in favor of casinos – drop support for the idea, but not before its President, Major H.F. Stanley, expressed surprise in the face of such an expressive vote against casinos, given that so many people went to Macau to gamble at weekends.
Had the results of the survey been different, the recent history of Hong Kong too would have been quite different – and even more so that of Macau, of course.
