Exclusive | Hong Kong football chief Eric Fok open to legalising gambling, vows to punish match-fixers
HKFA chairman says legal wagering will generate revenue for the sport, but accepts it is a sensitive issue amid bid to eradicate corruption
The chairman of the local football association, Eric Fok Kai-shan, has acknowledged that the legalisation of gambling on matches in Hong Kong would increase resources for the sport in the city.
In an exclusive interview with the Post, Fok said the topic was in a “discussion phase”, but conceded it was a “sensitive” issue, and consideration needed to be given to the impact that legalising football betting may have on the Hong Kong community.
Last year, the reigning Hong Kong footballer of the year, Philip Chan Siu-kwan, told the Post that permitting gambling on local games would “attract investment … and increase public interest”.
The government’s Home and Youth Affairs Bureau, which is responsible for gambling laws, said in response that betting remained outlawed “to prevent match fixing” and because there was not “a large and persistent demand for betting on such matches”.
In the wide-ranging interview, Fok said his organisation had implemented measures to try to rid the sport of corruption.
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Hong Kong football boss Eric Fok open to legalising gambling
On the prospect of allowing betting on the local leagues, he said: “A lot of people have expressed support for this … but it’s very important to understand the community and how [gambling] fits into Hong Kong, as well as how it would be regulated.
