The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will launch on or before October a new intelligent sports and recreation services booking and information system, SmartPLAY, to replace the existing Leisure Link Computerised Booking System in order to enhance service quality. All people, including existing Leisure Link patrons, must register and complete an authentication process beforehand in order to use the new system. The new system will open for user registration starting from July 3 (Monday).
The new system will provide a dedicated website and a mobile app to facilitate registering personal accounts, searching and booking/enrolment for sports and recreation facilities or programmes anytime and anywhere. Moreover, users can also utilise 375 new Smart Self-service Stations at around 240 leisure venues under the management of the LCSD during opening hours easily and conveniently, including the District Leisure Service Offices (DLSOs) in various districts, sports centres, swimming pools, sports grounds, holiday camps and water sports centres, etc.
SmartPLAY will be launched by phases. Starting from July 3, users can register for their accounts. Moreover, they can utilise the new system on or before October.
User registration
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All people must register as a user of SmartPLAY and complete the authentication process before using the new system. To enable instant activation of their account, users can complete their registration and identity authentication in one go through "iAM Smart'' or Smart Self-service Stations at DLSOs/leisure venues.
If users have yet to register with "iAM Smart'', they can fill in basic account information through the My SmartPLAY app or SmartPLAY website, and then upload a copy of their Hong Kong identity card (HKID). After verification, users are requested to perform identity authentication with the original copy of their HKID through Smart Self-service Stations at DLSOs/leisure venues or self-check-in devices at the leisure venues, whereupon their SmartPLAY account can be activated. Those without an HKID have to upload a copy of another identity document such as a birth certificate or entry permit when submitting an online application. Afterwards, they can perform identity authentication in person with the relevant original documents at the service counters at leisure venues or the SmartPLAY Services Centre (Address: Floor 5M, Kwun Chung Municipal Services Building, 17 Bowing Street, Jordan, Kowloon) to complete the registration.
Personalised services
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The account information of all existing Leisure Link patrons will be transferred to their own SmartPLAY accounts after completion of registration and identity authentication.
SmartPLAY will provide a series of personalised services, including management of "My Profile", self-service check-in of facility sessions and programmes, checking booked sports and recreation facilities and enrolled programmes, as well as maintaining personal qualifications to facilitate booking or enrolment in future.
Users can also set their preferences under which SmartPLAY will remind them automatically when their favourite sports and recreation facilities or programmes are available for booking or enrolment.
Moreover, the system has a new function to push e-reminders or e-notifications. In case there are any special arrangements for leisure venues or programmes due to inclement weather, SmartPLAY will send notifications to alert users.
In addition to its core functions, SmartPLAY will provide more enhanced functions, including managing personal accounts, making e-payments (members of the public can pay by electronic payment methods such as credit card, PPS, Faster Payment system (FPS), Apple Pay or Google Pay via the online booking system, or credit card, FPS, Apple Pay or Google Pay via My SmartPLAY app. Payment via Smart Self-service Stations by Octopus or FPS is also available) and applying for a refund. Moreover, the capacity of the new system will also be increased from being able to accommodate around 1 000 concurrent users at present to 10 000 users. It is believed that this will enable a faster login of the system by members of the public for booking.
Prevention of touting activities
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Moreover, to avoid time clashes of facility sessions, booking of fee-charging and non-fee charging sports and recreation facilities (for example turf soccer pitches and hard-surface ball courts) will be made in the same balloting application. A user can submit one application with up to three ballot choices each day and will be allocated up to three choices per day. Furthermore, to further combat touting of recreation venues, functions preventing touting activities have been added in the new system. Apart from real-name registration, after the rollout of the new system, members of the public are required to declare and undertake that they will be present during the use of the booked session and that the user permit will not be transferred by any means in the course of their booking and signing-in for sessions. Any person who is found to have transferred the booked session may commit the offence of fraud under section 16A of the Theft Ordinance (Cap. 210), and is liable to prosecution and will face imprisonment of up to 14 years upon conviction.
Transition arrangements from Leisure Link to SmartPLAY
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With a view to ensuring a smooth transition from the old system to a new one and minimising the impact of the transition on members of the public, the LCSD will arrange for the Leisure Link booking service to suspend on the designated dates and announce the suspension dates beforehand so that the public can make their own arrangements. The Leisure Link will show the available dates for facility bookings in advance for earlier bookings by the users, while certain programmes will also accept enrolments in advance.
SmartPLAY will be launched on or before October. Booking and enrolment services will still be available within this year at the existing booking counters at DLSOs and leisure venues to cater for users who are not ready for the adoption of the new system. Given that members of the public can make facility bookings, enrol in programmes, get a refund or access other currently available services on the computer or at Smart Self-service Stations in the future, the booking counters at leisure venues and DLSOs will stop providing services in January 2024 and the second half of 2024 respectively after the public becomes familiarised with the operation of the new system. Booking counters will then be converted to services counters which offer customer services, including assisting members of the public in using the Smart Self-service Stations or mobile applications for facility bookings and programme enrolments, verifying and updating their eligibility for concession, processing the check-in procedures of booked sessions for temporary users, and provision of services relating to the standby arrangement for facilities.
To tie in with the launch of the new system, SmartPLAY customer service ambassadors will be available at leisure venues in various districts to demonstrate how to use the new system and Smart Self-service Stations, assist users to register their personal accounts and use various self-service functions. Moreover, SmartPLAY Workshops will be organised to help the public including the elderly who are unaccustomed to electronic platforms to learn how to register and use the new system. It is planned that more than 280 workshops will be organised in 18 districts for around 10 000 participants. The public can utilise SmartPLAY Roadshow Corners in designated sports centres, and use mobile phones for pre-trial use to experience the various functions of SmartPLAY.
Venues with a SmartPLAY Roadshow Corner in each district are as follows:
| District | Venue |
| Central and Western | Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park Sports Centre |
| Wan Chai | Harbour Road Sports Centre |
| Eastern | Chai Wan Sports Centre |
| Southern | Wong Chuk Hang Sports Centre |
| Kowloon City | Hung Hom Municipal Services Building Sports Centre |
| Kwun Tong | Lei Yue Mun Sports Centre |
| Sham Shui Po | Pei Ho Street Sports Centre |
| Wong Tai Sin | Choi Hung Road Sports Centre |
| Yau Tsim Mong | Kowloon Park Sports Centre |
| Islands | Tung Chung Man Tung Road Sports Centre |
| Kwai Tsing | Osman Ramju Sadick Memorial Sports Centre |
| North | Po Wing Road Sports Centre |
| Sai Kung | Tiu Keng Leng Sports Centre |
| Sha Tin | Ma On Shan Sports Centre |
| Tuen Mun | Siu Lun Sports Centre |
| Tai Po | Tai Po Hui Sports Centre |
| Tsuen Wan | Yeung Uk Road Sports Centre |
| Yuen Long | Tin Fai Road Sports Centre |
Stay tuned for the latest information of SmartPLAY.
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