Hong Kong Government opens consultation on legalising basketball betting -Plan would allow licensed basketball betting via Hong Kong Jockey Club
Key points:
- Plan would allow licensed basketball betting via Hong Kong Jockey Club
- Safeguards include youth protections and restrictions on Hong Kong games
- Officials say move would address illegal gambling and bolster tax revenue
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has launched a consultation on the proposed regulation of basketball betting, as part of its efforts to combat illegal gambling and strengthen oversight of wagering activities.
Under the plan, the Betting Duty Ordinance would be amended to allow the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs to issue a basketball betting licence to the Hong Kong Jockey Club. The proposed regime would be modelled closely on existing rules for football betting.
Authorities estimate that turnover from illegal basketball betting in 2024 reached between HK$70bn and HK$90bn. According to Government sources, unregulated platforms have become increasingly difficult to police, particularly with the rise of digital payments and cryptocurrency use.
Licensing conditions would include a fixed duration, limits on the types of competitions available for betting and a prohibition on accepting wagers on games involving Hong Kong teams or matches played locally. Operators would not be allowed to take credit bets or accept bets from underage individuals.
Additional safeguards require operators to display notices warning of the dangers of excessive gambling and to provide information about support services for those affected by gambling addiction.
Officials have stressed that the Government does not promote gambling as a matter of policy, but maintains that a controlled and limited regulatory framework is a more effective approach to address public demand and curb illegal activity.
The consultation paper is available online, and members of the public may submit their views by post, fax or email until early May.
https://www.gamblinginsider.com/news/28972/hong-kong-government-opens-consultation-on-legalising-basketball-betting
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Hong Kong is considering expanding its legal sports betting framework to include basketball, a move that would mark the first major change to the city’s gambling laws in nearly five decades.
The proposed expansion, first signalled in the government’s 2025–26 Budget, would allow the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) to offer basketball betting alongside its existing horse racing and football markets. Under the current Betting Duty Ordinance, passed in 1977, only these two sports and the lottery are permitted for wagering.
The government said it will launch a public consultation on the proposal, which is aimed at curbing illegal gambling and boosting regulatory oversight.
The move comes as authorities look to counter a booming underground market. The HKJC estimates illegal basketball betting turnover reached between HK$70 billion and HK$90 billion ($8.9 billion–$11.5 billion) in 2024.
By legalising basketball betting, the government hopes to channel that activity through authorised channels, thereby generating tax revenue and imposing safeguards on betting behaviour.
The proposed licensing framework would amend the Betting Duty Ordinance to allow the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs to grant a basketball betting licence to the HKJC. Licensing conditions under consideration include a fixed term for the licence, a ban on bets involving Hong Kong teams or games played locally, a prohibition on juvenile participation, and restrictions on credit betting.
“As a matter of policy, the government does not encourage gambling,” the Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) said in a statement. “The Government adopts a pragmatic approach by allowing only a limited number of authorised gambling outlets, which includes authorising the HKJC to conduct horse race betting, Mark Six Lottery and football betting in accordance with the Betting Duty Ordinance.”
“There is, however, undeniably an actual and persistent demand for gambling in Hong Kong which, if left unregulated, would likely give rise to illegal gambling activities and associated social problems and other criminal activities,” it added.
The Betting and Lotteries Commission (BLC) and the HKJC have both expressed support for the measure, having jointly proposed it following last month’s budget announcement.
In a separate move, the government extended the HKJC’s exclusive football betting licence for another five years.
Hong Kong's proposed reforms further distinguish it from mainland China, where all forms of gambling remain illegal. Macau, China’s only other region where gambling is allowed, continues to operate one of the world’s largest casino markets, though it faces growing political pressure to diversify its economy away from gaming.
https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2025/04/04/100482-hong-kong-proposes-legalizing-basketball-betting-in-effort-to-tackle-black-market