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DPP backs local sports lottery link

Democratic Progressive Party legislators Yeh Yi-ching, William Lai and Tsai Huang-liang, left to right, yesterday hold a press conference to call on the Cabinet's Sports Affairs Council not to exclude local sports events from the new sports lottery. PHOTO: CNA

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative caucus yesterday urged the Sports Affairs Council not to allow Taiwan Fubon Bank to go ahead with the sports lottery if it does not cover local sports.

"Let us not forget what lottery money is for," caucus whip William Lai (賴清德) told a press conference at the caucus' office yesterday.

"We are going to use the money to develop our own athletes, sports industry and sports-related facilities. Local sports are going to be the main focus of the lottery," he said.

Lai said that the lottery would encourage more people to pay attention to sports. Public interest and their contributions would be the main keys to invigorating the nation's sports industry, he said.

The sports lottery is scheduled to be launched by Taipei Fubon Bank on May 2, but the bank's proposal has been strongly criticized because bettors will only be able to bet on foreign sports games, not professional baseball or basketball games in Taiwan.

"Helping Taiwan's sports industry is one of the most important reasons for the creation of the lottery," DPP Legislator Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) said. "It is my concern that a decreasing number of people will care about our athletes or the [sports] industry itself, if the lottery has nothing to do with them."

"The DPP legislative caucus believes that Taiwan should always be the priority. Since the lottery was designed to help our sports industry it must have a local focus," DPP caucus whip Yeh Yi-ching (葉宜津) said.
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