Hong Kong lawmakers have approved a bill to legalise betting on basketball matches as authorities aim to tackle illegal gambling, with the Hong Kong Jockey Club expected to be the sole operator.
The Legislative Council passed the Betting Duty (Amendment) Bill 2025 empowering the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs to issue basketball betting operator licences with specified terms.
The bill also authorises a licensed basketball operator to place bets with other gambling operators for hedging purposes.
The vote followed scrutiny by a bills committee in two sessions in July. On Thursday, 77 lawmakers voted in favour, two abstained and two opposed it.
Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Alice Mak Mei-kuen, addressed lawmakers during the meeting.
“Providing legal channels is a way to satisfy the public’s demand for certain kinds of betting to prevent them from turning to illegal operators,” she said.
