The Hong Kong Jockey Club on Thursday launched a free exhibition at Tai Kwun, Central, to mark the 50th anniversary of Mark Six, the city's iconic lottery that has raised more than HK$30 billion ($3.8 billion) in welfare resources since its debut in 1976.

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said at the opening ceremony that Mark Six has become a household name, with its lottery fund contributions have supported more than 25,000 community projects benefiting more than 300 non-governmental organizations.

Club Chief Executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said the lottery was introduced to redirect public gambling demand from illegal street games toward regulated channels.

Running from Friday to May 10, the exhibition, themed "Carry Dreams, Accumulate Good", showcases rare artifacts including the city's earliest lottery tickets, a vintage third-generation draw machine used from 1994 to 2010, and a simulated draw room where visitors can pose for instant photos with a retired draw machine.

The club will also launch two special 50th-anniversary jackpot draws, with the first on May 2 offering an estimated jackpot of HK$228 million, the highest in Mark Six history.

China Daily's Adam Lam took the photos on Thursday.