Hong Kong launches public consultation on legalisation of basketball betting

Government spokesman says month-long consultation will consider previous proposal by Jockey Club, but bets on local matches won’t be allowed

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The NBA’s betting page displayed on a phone at a Hong Kong Jockey Club betting branch in Kwun Tong. The club earlier said it hoped basketball betting would be legalised in the city by September. Photo: Edmond So

Published: 6:08pm, 2 Apr 2025Updated: 9:09pm, 2 Apr 2025

Hong Kong authorities have launched a public consultation on the legalisation of basketball betting, with any future operator to be barred from organising wagers on local matches to protect the health of the sport in the city.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club, the city’s sole legal betting operator, estimated that illegal basketball wagers amounted to as much as HK$90 billion (US$11.6 billion) last year.

“The government will adopt a pragmatic approach by allowing only a limited number of authorised gambling outlets,” a Home and Youth Affairs Bureau spokesman said on Wednesday.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po unveiled plans to legalise basketball betting in his budget speech in February, saying it could add HK$2 billion to government coffers.

The government said the public consultation, which would end on May 2, would take into consideration an earlier proposal by the Jockey Club, as well as views from the Betting and Lotteries Commission.

The proposed regulatory regime would be similar to the one for football betting, with every licence to be issued with a fixed duration, while the government would have powers to impose restrictions on the types of bets and classes of competitions allowed.