Hong Kong officials have reiterated that a proposal to legalize betting on basketball games is not intended to create a new source of tax revenue but instead aims to provide a legal alternative to unregulated gambling activity.
The proposed legislative change would amend the Betting Duty Ordinance and allow The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), currently the territory’s sole legal betting operator, to offer wagers on basketball. At present, the Club is limited to horse racing, football, and lottery games.
If approved, basketball bets would be taxed at the same 50 percent rate currently applied to football wagering, and the HKJC would be responsible for implementing expanded responsible gambling safeguards, particularly targeting young fans.
Despite speculation that the move could help shore up government finances, officials have stressed that taxation is not the driving force. Alice Mak, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, emphasized that the primary goal is to curb the influence of black-market operators.
Mak made the comments as the Legislative Council continues deliberations on the proposal. She acknowledged that some feedback during public consultation included suggestions that legal basketball betting could help reduce the city’s budget deficit, but maintained that this is not the government’s objective.
“The purpose is to offer a regulated platform for those who are already betting, so they’re not pushed toward illegal channels,” said Mak. She added that the administration has no intention of encouraging gambling, but rather aims to provide a safe and controlled environment for those who choose to engage in it.
Details around implementation, such as when basketball betting might be launched or how additional safeguards will be enforced, are still being finalized. If passed, the measure would mark a rare expansion of Hong Kong’s tightly controlled gambling landscape, which has traditionally taken a conservative approach to legal betting.
