Hong Kong passes bill to legalise basketball betting

Summary

Hong Kong’s Legislative Council has approved the Betting Duty (Amendment) Bill 2025, permitting regulated basketball wagering as part of efforts to curb illegal gambling. The legislation gives the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs the power to issue operator licences and allows licensees to place bets with other operators for hedging. The Hong Kong Jockey Club is expected to be the sole licence holder under the new framework.

A 50 per cent duty will apply to net stake receipts, the same rate used for football betting. Authorities estimate legal basketball betting could generate up to HK$1.5bn in annual tax revenue, although it may take several years to reach that level. The government says the regime will be accompanied by stronger enforcement, education initiatives and expanded problem-gambling support through the Ping Wo Fund. The Jockey Club also plans a major investment in local basketball development, including youth and community programmes.

Key Points

Legislative Council passed the Betting Duty (Amendment) Bill 2025 to legalise regulated basketball betting.
The Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs is authorised to issue operator licences; licencees may hedge bets with other operators.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club is expected to be the sole licence holder under the framework.
A 50% duty on net stake receipts will apply, aligning basketball with football betting taxation.
The government projects up to HK$1.5bn in annual tax revenue from legal basketball betting, though realisation could take years.
Complementary measures include enforcement, public education and increased support for problem gambling via the Ping Wo Fund.
The Jockey Club will invest in grassroots basketball, youth and community programmes as part of its commitment.

Why should I read this?

Short version: this reshapes Hong Kong’s sports-betting scene. If you care about gaming regulation, betting markets or sports funding, this matters — new revenues, a likely single operator and extra regulatory scrutiny. Read it if you work in compliance, sports development, gambling operations or support services; otherwise, skim it for the headlines.

Source

Source: https://g3newswire.com/hong-kong-passes-bill-to-legalise-basketball-betting/