Beijing Bets On Horses, Lotteries To Push Hainan

The central government is allow horse racing and sports lotteries in Hainan as it pushes make the southern tropical island as a "centre of international tourism consumption".

It marks a change of tack for the Communist government which has long banned most forms of gambling on the mainland.

Development of a gaming and tourism industry in Hainan could also create a new rival for Hong Kong's thriving horse racing sector and Macau, the world's largest gaming market.

Hainan will be urged to explore opening new types of lotteries connected to sports and international competitions, according to the guiding opinion jointly issued by the Communist Party Central Committee and State Council which was published Saturday by state news agency Xinhua.

The plan aims to make Hainan, an island off China's southern coast, a "trial free trade zone".

The outline comes days after President Xi Jinping pledged a "new phase of openness" at the annual Boao Forum for Asia.

We will "build Hainan into an important open door for China onto the Pacific and Indian oceans", the plan says.

Sectors to open up to further foreign investment include healthcare, education, sports, communications, internet, culture and finance.

As part of making the island green and sustainable, the reform package will push the introduction of electric vehicles and "gradually prohibit sales of gasoline-powered vehicles", Xinhua said. (AFP)