Back in May, I told you all through this blog that the Club was preparing to launch a mobile betting App for iPhone and iPad users. Two months on, I'm pleased to report that the App is now ready, and can be downloaded free from Apple's App Store.
I know many of you have been eagerly awaiting this App for a long time. We too would have liked to launch it sooner, but as you may know, approval and upload procedures for new Apps at the Apple Store do take some time. But anyway, I’m delighted to learn that it has recorded the most downloads of any App by Hong Kong customers of the App Store just two days after its launch, which reflects the fact that demand for this application is huge.
I'm also very 'appy, if you'll excuse the pun, to see that many of those who've downloaded it have expressed positive comments through Club channels or online discussion forums. The popularity of smartphones and other mobile devices has grown hugely in recent years as technologies have advanced, so we're always conscious that there is high demand for this type of service, and we're committed to meet this demand. We hope it will give our customers greater service mobility and keep them informed of the latest Club information wherever they are. All of you who have iPhones or iPads can now download this App to get instant racing, football and Mark Six information, as well as place bets through the App if you have an online betting account.
I understand there are concerns that the easy public access to this free App could promote further gambling in society. I think it's important to emphasise that only people who have Club betting accounts will be able to place bets through this App, and there will be no change at all to the strict controls we have in place on who can open and use a betting account.
The fact is that many of our customers are now seeking greater mobility and convenience when using our services. If we fail to cater to their needs, we run the risk of losing these customers to other means of betting and gaming that fall outside Hong Kong’s legalised betting channels.
Such an exodus would not only mean a loss of betting duty to the Government, but more worryingly, would expose our customers to risks such as credit betting or loansharking activities. This could ultimately create a much larger social impact on the community, and require the Government and social organisations to devote more resources to resolving these problems. I hope those parties who have expressed concerns will appreciate the difficult challenge we face in addressing these issues, and understand that we are only trying to meet the reasonable expectations of our customers.
Use of the new App for betting is now based on the Dual Authentication Login Method, which our online betting service eWin will likewise fully adopt with effect from 1 August. We launched this login method for eWin customers in May last year, with the aim of giving them greater mobility and convenience. It means they can access their accounts through any Internet-connected computer, simply by logging in with their passwords and answering a preset question.
This new login method has also opened up online betting to all our customers who prefer to use increasingly-popular browsers such as Safari and Firefox. The great majority of our online betting account users have already switched to the new method and found it very straightforward to use, once they've got accustomed to the change.
For those who have not yet migrated to the Dual Authentication method, please remember to do so before the end of this week, and enjoy the much greater convenience and flexibility it offers.
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