Mark Six Lotto Exposed — Get Ready for Snowball Drawings and Other Surprises!
Mark Six Lotto Review
If you’re a lottery enthusiast, you probably know already that the 6/49 format is one of the most popular out there. You probably believe that we can’t surprise you with a lottery that follows the format and gives players something extra. Well, you’re wrong. Hong Kong has come up with a variation of the game called Hong Kong Mark Six. Mark Six has a couple of exciting twists and turns that add a bit of diversity to the traditional matrix.
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Hong Kong Mark Six: A Brief Overview
Mark Six is a 6/49 lottery format that is organized by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC). The drawings take place 3 times per week – on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Bets are accepted till approximately 15 minutes prior to the televised drawing. The game is one of the most popular in Hong Kong and lately, it’s been gaining recognition from across the world.
The prize structure of the game was changed several times through the years. The latest modification occurred in 2011. Ever since, there are 7 numbers drawn – 6 main numbers and an additional one called the Extra Number. The game comes with 6 prize tiers and a jackpot awarded to individuals who get all 6 main numbers correct.
How to Play Mark Six?
Playing Mark Six Lotto is easy. All that you have to do is pick 6 numbers from a pool of 49. If you match all 6 numbers for the respective drawing, you’ll win the Mark Six jackpot.
The extra number drawn each time is used to determine the winners of the second, fourth and sixth prize tiers.
There’s a minimum guaranteed jackpot in the game of 8 million Hong Kong dollars. If there’s no winner for the respective drawing, the sum will roll over toward the next one. Thus, Mark Six has a progressively increasing jackpot that has drawn many people from all parts of the world to the game.
Prizes and Odds of Winning
The odds of winning the jackpot in Mark Six are 1 in 13.98 million. While the minimum is eight million dollars, Match Six has been known to feature some much more lucrative top prizes. These usually occur in the case of a Snowball Draw.
| Match | Odds |
|---|---|
| 6 | 1 in 13,983,816 |
| 5+1 | 1 in 2,330,636 |
| 5 | 1 in 55,491.33 |
| 4+1 | 1 in 22,196.53 |
| 4 | 1 in 1,082.76 |
| 3+1 | 1 in 812.07 |
| 3 | 1 in 60.9 |
The Snowball Draw is a special event that may occur on top of the 3 regular drawings that take place each week. Usually, Snowball Draws occur for public holidays and on special occasions like Easter, the Chinese New Year, and Christmas.
Some of the funds generated through the sales of tickets for the regular Match Six drawings go towards the creation of a Snowball prize pool. Because of these funds, the Snowball Draws feature much more impressive jackpots. On occasions, these have been known to reach spectacular sums of up to 100 million Hong Kong dollars.
Other than the main prize, Match Six has 6 additional prize tiers. To win the second prize, players need to have 5 correct numbers and the extra number. The odds of this happening are 1 in 2,330,636. The second prize tier isn’t fixed. The amount players win will depend on the funds generated through ticket sales and the number of winners. Fifteen percent of the prize funds are dedicated to the second division.
The fourth (4 numbers and the extra number), fifth (4 numbers), sixth (3 numbers and the extra number), and seventh (3 numbers) prize tiers come with fixed amounts. These are respectively 9,600, 640, 320, and 40 Hong Kong dollars.
The overall odds of winning any prize in Mark Six are 1 in approximately 50 – relatively good odds in comparison to other big national lotteries.
Some Information for Winners
The Hong Kong Jockey Club pays out prizes two ways – players can choose either a cash lump sum or a cheque. All of the winners have 60 days from the date of the drawing in order to make a prize claim.
Prizes of up to 1 million Hong Kong dollars can be requested at any off-course HKJC betting branch. Larger amounts are paid out at the main office of the organization.
One final important thing to remember is that lottery players in Hong Kong don’t pay an income tax on the prizes. If you’re an international player, however, you’ll need to check regulations in the country that you’re a citizen of. Local taxes may still apply to prizes won from abroad lotteries.
Can You Buy Mark Six Lotto Tickets Online?
Hong Kong Match Six tickets are available for online purchase. You’ll simply need to pick the online lottery agent that you’re comfortable with. This entity will be responsible for buying the ticket in Hong Kong on your behalf.
Why You Should Play Mark Six Lotto
Pros:
A familiar format that most lottery players recognize
The drawings take place 3 times per week
The ticket price is very low
Match Six has a minimum guaranteed jackpot
Jackpots will roll over if there are no winners for the respective drawing
Special Snowball Draws take place and increase the size of the prizes significantly
There are 6 additional prize tiers on top of the jackpot
Players in Hong Kong don’t have to pay income taxes on lottery prizes
Some of the funds generated through ticket sales go to support charitable causes
Before rushing to buy your Match Six tickets, however, familiarize yourself with a few of the most important shortcomings of the game:
Why You Shouldn’t Play Mark Six Lotto
Cons:
Other than the Snowball Draws, Match Six doesn’t really offer exciting opportunities for increasing the prizes
The lower prize tiers aren’t too impressive
Match Six is a standard 6/49 lottery and many players are looking for something different
Is Mark Six Lotto Legit?
Mark Six is legitimate and perfectly safe to play, whether you’re in Hong Kong or you’d like to purchase your tickets online in another country.
HKJC ranks among the oldest non-profit organizations in Hong Kong. It was established in 1884 as a horse racing operator and an entity responsible for generating funds for charitable causes. Apart from organizing horse racing events, the entity is also responsible for lotteries, and sporting and betting events in the country.
It’s interesting to point out that HKJC is the largest taxpaying entity in Hong Kong. In addition, it’s one of the largest benefactors of charitable causes. In 2014 alone, the Hong Kong Jockey Club donated 3.6 billion Hong Kong dollars to support different societal needs.
HKJC has a legal monopoly over football and horse race betting in Hong Kong. The club also offers membership benefits, but only the wealthiest members of the social elite can enjoy the exclusivity.
With very strict regulations and set rules about gambling/lotteries, Hong Kong is one of the countries that probably has the most legitimate betting opportunities in the world. Mark Six is guaranteed by a respectable entity that’s been around for centuries. This is why you have no reason to worry about the lottery is a scam.
Match Six has reasonable prizes, several prize divisions, and affordable tickets. The lottery is available to international players and it’s regulated by a strict legal framework. Because of all these features, you will have nothing to lose by giving Match Six a try.
ANNALIZA ABES
A good chance to find your luck. Cheaper ticket price gives the opportunity to everyone regardless of living status.
Les
One should watch out for this lotto because it has been known to produce some pretty impressive jackpots, like the 164 million Hong Kong dollars (21.14 million US dollars) in September 2014.