Online Gambling Hong Kong Legal

Founded in 1884, Hong Kong Jockey Club is the only legal bookmaker in Hong Kong, making them profit immensely resulting in them being the largest taxpayer. During the 2016-17 racing season, the club reported a total turnover of HK$216.5 billion, with the government earning HK$21.7 billion in. Welcome to Hong Kong e-Legislation. Hong Kong e-Legislation (HKeL) is the official database of Hong Kong legislation.It provides free online access to current and past versions of consolidated legislation dating back to 30 June 1997 and PDF copies marked 'verified copy' have official legal status. As in the rest of China, there is no regulatory framework for online gambling in Hong Kong. That means it is illegal for anyone to operate an online casino in Hong Kong. The red mile casino lexington ky. However, that doesn't mean that such sites aren't seen here – it's just that they are all based on foreign countries. Celebrity Millennium Cruise. This cruise has one of the most popular casinos in Hong Kong island.

Key Facts: Online Gambling In Hong Kong Online betting and gambling legal with licensed operators (since 2006). Football betting (soccer) is the most popular with punters. Legal gambling age is 18+.

Gambling

• Message from the Chairman, Ping Wo Fund Advisory Committee (December 2012)

Gambling Policy

The Home Affairs Bureau is responsible for formulating gambling policy and monitoring its implementation. Hitherto, the gambling policy is to restrict gambling opportunities to a limited number of authorized and regulated outlets. At present, such authorized gambling outlets include horse racing organized by the Hong Kong Jockey Club , the Mark Six Lottery, authorized football betting and gaming activities authorized by the public officer appointed by the Secretary for Home Affairs under the Gambling Ordinance (Cap. 148) (e.g. mahjong parlours).

The rationale behind this policy is two-fold. First, while we recognize that there is always a demand for gambling, the conduct of gambling activities should be authorized and regulated. This is because unregulated gambling activities can lead to a number of social problems - frauds, underage gambling, loan sharking, etc. - and become a potential source of income for triad and criminal activities. Second, since it is impossible to reconcile the different views in the community on the extent to which authorized gambling outlets should be allowed to exist, a compromise approach is to allow only a limited number of authorized gambling outlets, the purpose of which is to satisfy substantial and persistent public demand for gambling which would otherwise turn to illegal operators.

Gambling Legislation

Under the Gambling Ordinance (Cap. 148), all gambling activities are illegal except those expressly authorized by the Government under the Betting Duty Ordinance (Cap. 108) (i.e. authorized horse racing, authorized football betting and the Mark Six Lottery), those licensed by the public officers appointed by the Secretary for Home Affairs (e.g. mahjong parlours) and those exempted under Section 3 of the Gambling Ordinance (mainly social gambling).

Betting and Lotteries Commission

With effect from 15 August 2006, the name of the Football Betting and Lotteries Commission was changed to the Betting and Lotteries Commission, and the functions of the Commission expanded to include advising the Secretary for Home Affairs on the regulation of the conduct of betting on horse racing as well as compliance with licensing conditions by the licensee. Details of the terms of reference and membership of the Commission are as follows :

Terms of reference

To advise the Secretary for Home Affairs on the following aspects -

1. regulation of the conduct of horse race betting, football betting and lotteries in accordance with the provisions of the Betting Duty Ordinance and the licensing conditions;
2. compliance with the licensing conditions by the licensees;
3. handling of public complaints relating to the compliance of the licensing conditions by the licensees;
4. imposition of financial penalties on the licensees; and
5. issuance and revocation of horse race betting, football betting and lottery licences; and variation of the conditions of such licences.

Chairman

Mr FONG Man-hung, David, BBS, JP

Non-official Members

Dr. CHAN Po-ling
Mr FOK Kai-kong, Kenneth, JP
Ms. FUNG Dun-mi, Amy, MH
Rev HO Chi-dik
Mr LAI Tat-shing
Hon LAU Kwok-fan, MH
Ms LEUNG Fung-yee, Fonnie
Mr. LING Ho-wan, Howard, MH
Ms LU Hai, BBS, MH, JP
Mr WAN Siu-kin, Andrew
Mr. WONG Hin-wing

Official Members

Commissioner of Police or his representative
Permanent Secretary for Education or his representative
Director of Home Affairs or her representative

Meeting of the Commission

Hong Kong Casinos

Submission of views on the proposal of increasing the number of simulcast days

The Betting and Lotteries Commission invited members of the public to submit views on Hong Kong Jockey Club's proposal of increasing the number of simulcast days. For details, please click here.

Complaints and comments

If you have any complaints and comments regarding the regulation of authorized betting and lotteries, please contact us through the following channels:

The Ping Wo Fund

The Government established The Ping Wo Fund in September 2003 to finance preventive and remedial measures to address the gambling-related problems. From 2019/20, the Hong Kong Jockey Club has undertaken to contribute $45 million each year within a four-year period. The Fund also welcomes donations from the public. For cheque and cash donations:
- Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Ltd (HSBC) account number '502-407851-001'. Cheques should be made payable to 'The Secretary for Home Affairs Incorporated – The Ping Wo Fund'. For more details of the Fund and the programme schedules, please visit http://www.donotgamble.org.hk.

The major ambits of The Ping Wo Fund are to finance the following measures:

- research and studies into problems and issues relating to gambling;
- public education and other measures to prevent or alleviate problems relating to gambling;
- counselling, treatment and other remedial or support services for problem and pathological gamblers and those affected by them.

A Ping Wo Fund Advisory Committee has been established to give advice on the use and application of the Fund. The membership of the Committee is as follows:

Chairperson

Mr YIP Chun-to, Adrian, B.B.S., M.H., J.P.

Ex-officio Members

Representative of Secretary for Home Affairs
Representative of Secretary for Education
Representative of Director of Social Welfare

Non-official Members

Mr CHAN Chun-chung
Mr CHAN Ho-ting, Mac
Ms CHAN Wing-man
Dr CHEN Yuk-lun, Ronald
Ms CHENG Michelle
Mr CHIU Ka-yin, Andrew
Mr CHONG Yan-kit, Sam
Miss HO Ching-wai, Cherene
Ms LEUNG Fung-yee, Fonnie
Mr NG Chak-hang, Matthew
Dr POON Yin-kwong, Johannes
Miss WONG Sze-sze

Meeting of the Advisory Committee

Research and studies on gambling-related issues and problems

We have commissioned academic institutes to conduct research and studies on Hong Kong People's participation in gambling activities. (for report, press here ).

Counselling and treatment as well as other remedial services for gamblers with gambling disorder

Four dedicated counselling and treatment centres for gamblers with gambling disorder financed by The Ping Wo Fund are being operated by Caritas, the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, Zion Social Service Limited and Hong Kong Lutheran Social Service respectively. The first two centres operated by Caritas and Tung Wah Group of Hospitals commenced service since October 2003 whereas the two other centres operated by Zion Social Service Limited and Hong Kong Lutheran Social Service commenced service in 2007 and 2010 respectively. The four centres also provide gambling counselling hotline service (telephone number: 1834 633).

The four centres provide specialised counselling and treatment services for gamblers with gambling disorder and their family members. The four centres will also facilitate the development of the best practices for remedial services and screening of gamblers with gambling disorder in Hong Kong, and collect data and statistics for the sake of enhancing understanding about the behaviour and risk factors of gamblers with gambling disorder.

Project i-Change: a new stepped-care-approach for problem gamblers

The Project i-Change, which features a virtual counsellor, is a pilot project funded by the Ping Wo Fund and operated by Evangelical Lutheran Church Social Service – Hong Kong with an aim to fill the gap of existing operation hours of counselling services by providing simulated counselling support service to problem gamblers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. As an artificial intelligence computer programme developed by a team of multi-disciplinary versatile professionals, the virtual counsellor serves as an initial contact point to offer preliminary advice and encourage problem gamblers for further telephone and face-to-face counselling.

• Project i-Change (Chinese Version Only)

Ping Wo Fund Sponsorship Scheme 2020-21

The Ping Wo Fund Sponsorship Scheme, administered by the Ping Wo Fund Advisory Committee, aims to provide sponsorship to community organisations to organise public education programmes/activities to prevent and alleviate gambling-related problems. The application for the Ping Wo Fund Sponsorship Scheme 2020-21 was closed on 16 September 2020.

Ping Wo Fund School Project Grants 2020-21

The Ping Wo Fund School Project Grants administered by the Ping Wo Fund Advisory Committee aims to provide sponsorship to schools to organise educational projects/activities on prevention or alleviation of gambling-related problems among students. The application for the 2020-21 Ping Wo Fund School Project Grants was closed on 15 June 2020.

(You need to use Acrobat Reader to read the above PDF format document files. Acrobat Reader can be downloaded in here.)

Hong Kong Lottery Online

The Gambling Ordinance was enacted in 1977 to regulate gambling in Hong Kong.^[1] People are allowed gamble for leisure and entertainment within these regulations at a limited number of authorized outlets. Social gambling is still allowed.

Legality[edit]

Online Gambling Hong Kong Legal Hotline

The government of Hong Kong restricts organized gambling to a few regulated outlets. The government enacted the Gambling Ordinance in 1977 to rein in excessive gambling while still providing gambling to the populace.^[2] Gambling involving a bookmaker is illegal in Hong Kong.^[2] Betting with a bookmaker and betting in a place other than a gambling establishment is illegal. The Hong Kong Jockey Club holds a government-granted monopoly on horse races, football matches, and lotteries. The revenue the club generates from various wagers makes it the largest taxpayer for the government.^[3]

Hong Kong generates the largest horse race gambling turnover in the world. The Hong Kong Jockey Club founded in 1884, holds a monopoly on horse racing wagers, lotteries and football betting and is the largest taxpayer to the government.^[3] In 2009, Hong Kong generated an average US$12.7 million in gambling turnover per race 6 times larger than its closest rival France at US$2 million while the United States only generated $250,000.^[4]

During the 2014-2015 racing season the Hong Kong Jockey Club attracted about HK$138.8 million (US$17.86 million) per race more that any other track in the world. Hong Kong Jockey Club broke its own record during the 2016-2017 season with a turnover of HK$216.5 billion and paid the government HK$21.7 billion in duty and profits tax, an all-time high.^[5]

Charities[edit]

Hong Kong has charities which have a goal to promoting responsible gambling practices among those who gamble and to minimizing the negative effects of problem gambling. Such charities also look for a balance between meeting the demand for gambling and maximizing the social and economic benefits of gambling for the community, while helping to minimize potential harm to individuals and the community.^[2]

Recent events[edit]

During the 2010 World Cup, police arrested 25 people for having an illegal gambling ring that took bets on World Cup matches worth more than 66 million Hong Kong dollars. Earlier in the year the Hong Kong police set up a task force to help stop illegal football gambling.^[6]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^Deans, R. (2001). Online gambling: changes to Hong Kong's gambling legislation. Gaming Law Review., 5(6), Retrieved from http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/109218801753336166?journalCode=glrdoi:10.1089/109218801753336166
2. ^ ^abc'Responsible gambling policy'. Hong Kong Jockey Club. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
3. ^ ^abBalfour, Fredrick (22 February 2016). 'Hong Kong Horse Racing Is Serious Business'. Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
4. ^'Hong Kong's hardcore gamblers'. CNNMoney. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
5. ^Mok, Danny (1 September 2017). 'Hong Kong Jockey Club has record-breaking year'. South China Morning Post. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
6. ^Hong Kong police smash illegal world cup betting ring. (2010, June 13). Asia Pacific News, Retrieved from http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1062884/1/.html

External links[edit]

• The Study on Hong Kong People's Participation in Gambling Activities, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, March 2012
• Tse, Samson; Yu, Alex C.H.; Rossen, Fiona; Wang, Chong-Wen (2010). 'Examination of Chinese Gambling Problems through a Socio-Historical-Cultural Perspective'. The Scientific World Journal. 10: 1694–1704. doi:10.1100/tsw.2010.167. ISSN1537-744X. OCLC48386834. PMC5763971. PMID20842314.

Commissioner of Police or his representative
Permanent Secretary for Education or his representative
Director of Home Affairs or her representative

Meeting of the Commission

Hong Kong Casinos

Submission of views on the proposal of increasing the number of simulcast days

The Betting and Lotteries Commission invited members of the public to submit views on Hong Kong Jockey Club's proposal of increasing the number of simulcast days. For details, please click here.

Complaints and comments

If you have any complaints and comments regarding the regulation of authorized betting and lotteries, please contact us through the following channels:

The Ping Wo Fund

The Government established The Ping Wo Fund in September 2003 to finance preventive and remedial measures to address the gambling-related problems. From 2019/20, the Hong Kong Jockey Club has undertaken to contribute $45 million each year within a four-year period. The Fund also welcomes donations from the public. For cheque and cash donations:
- Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Ltd (HSBC) account number '502-407851-001'. Cheques should be made payable to 'The Secretary for Home Affairs Incorporated – The Ping Wo Fund'. For more details of the Fund and the programme schedules, please visit http://www.donotgamble.org.hk.

The major ambits of The Ping Wo Fund are to finance the following measures:

- research and studies into problems and issues relating to gambling;
- public education and other measures to prevent or alleviate problems relating to gambling;
- counselling, treatment and other remedial or support services for problem and pathological gamblers and those affected by them.

A Ping Wo Fund Advisory Committee has been established to give advice on the use and application of the Fund. The membership of the Committee is as follows:

Chairperson

Mr YIP Chun-to, Adrian, B.B.S., M.H., J.P.

Ex-officio Members

Representative of Secretary for Home Affairs
Representative of Secretary for Education
Representative of Director of Social Welfare

Non-official Members

Mr CHAN Chun-chung
Mr CHAN Ho-ting, Mac
Ms CHAN Wing-man
Dr CHEN Yuk-lun, Ronald
Ms CHENG Michelle
Mr CHIU Ka-yin, Andrew
Mr CHONG Yan-kit, Sam
Miss HO Ching-wai, Cherene
Ms LEUNG Fung-yee, Fonnie
Mr NG Chak-hang, Matthew
Dr POON Yin-kwong, Johannes
Miss WONG Sze-sze

Meeting of the Advisory Committee

Research and studies on gambling-related issues and problems

We have commissioned academic institutes to conduct research and studies on Hong Kong People's participation in gambling activities. (for report, press here ).

Counselling and treatment as well as other remedial services for gamblers with gambling disorder

Four dedicated counselling and treatment centres for gamblers with gambling disorder financed by The Ping Wo Fund are being operated by Caritas, the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, Zion Social Service Limited and Hong Kong Lutheran Social Service respectively. The first two centres operated by Caritas and Tung Wah Group of Hospitals commenced service since October 2003 whereas the two other centres operated by Zion Social Service Limited and Hong Kong Lutheran Social Service commenced service in 2007 and 2010 respectively. The four centres also provide gambling counselling hotline service (telephone number: 1834 633).

The four centres provide specialised counselling and treatment services for gamblers with gambling disorder and their family members. The four centres will also facilitate the development of the best practices for remedial services and screening of gamblers with gambling disorder in Hong Kong, and collect data and statistics for the sake of enhancing understanding about the behaviour and risk factors of gamblers with gambling disorder.

Project i-Change: a new stepped-care-approach for problem gamblers

The Project i-Change, which features a virtual counsellor, is a pilot project funded by the Ping Wo Fund and operated by Evangelical Lutheran Church Social Service – Hong Kong with an aim to fill the gap of existing operation hours of counselling services by providing simulated counselling support service to problem gamblers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. As an artificial intelligence computer programme developed by a team of multi-disciplinary versatile professionals, the virtual counsellor serves as an initial contact point to offer preliminary advice and encourage problem gamblers for further telephone and face-to-face counselling.

• Project i-Change (Chinese Version Only)

Ping Wo Fund Sponsorship Scheme 2020-21

The Ping Wo Fund Sponsorship Scheme, administered by the Ping Wo Fund Advisory Committee, aims to provide sponsorship to community organisations to organise public education programmes/activities to prevent and alleviate gambling-related problems. The application for the Ping Wo Fund Sponsorship Scheme 2020-21 was closed on 16 September 2020.

Ping Wo Fund School Project Grants 2020-21

The Ping Wo Fund School Project Grants administered by the Ping Wo Fund Advisory Committee aims to provide sponsorship to schools to organise educational projects/activities on prevention or alleviation of gambling-related problems among students. The application for the 2020-21 Ping Wo Fund School Project Grants was closed on 15 June 2020.

(You need to use Acrobat Reader to read the above PDF format document files. Acrobat Reader can be downloaded in here.)

Hong Kong Lottery Online

The Gambling Ordinance was enacted in 1977 to regulate gambling in Hong Kong.^[1] People are allowed gamble for leisure and entertainment within these regulations at a limited number of authorized outlets. Social gambling is still allowed.

Legality[edit]

Online Gambling Hong Kong Legal Hotline

The government of Hong Kong restricts organized gambling to a few regulated outlets. The government enacted the Gambling Ordinance in 1977 to rein in excessive gambling while still providing gambling to the populace.^[2] Gambling involving a bookmaker is illegal in Hong Kong.^[2] Betting with a bookmaker and betting in a place other than a gambling establishment is illegal. The Hong Kong Jockey Club holds a government-granted monopoly on horse races, football matches, and lotteries. The revenue the club generates from various wagers makes it the largest taxpayer for the government.^[3]

Hong Kong generates the largest horse race gambling turnover in the world. The Hong Kong Jockey Club founded in 1884, holds a monopoly on horse racing wagers, lotteries and football betting and is the largest taxpayer to the government.^[3] In 2009, Hong Kong generated an average US$12.7 million in gambling turnover per race 6 times larger than its closest rival France at US$2 million while the United States only generated $250,000.^[4]

During the 2014-2015 racing season the Hong Kong Jockey Club attracted about HK$138.8 million (US$17.86 million) per race more that any other track in the world. Hong Kong Jockey Club broke its own record during the 2016-2017 season with a turnover of HK$216.5 billion and paid the government HK$21.7 billion in duty and profits tax, an all-time high.^[5]

Charities[edit]

Hong Kong has charities which have a goal to promoting responsible gambling practices among those who gamble and to minimizing the negative effects of problem gambling. Such charities also look for a balance between meeting the demand for gambling and maximizing the social and economic benefits of gambling for the community, while helping to minimize potential harm to individuals and the community.^[2]

Recent events[edit]

During the 2010 World Cup, police arrested 25 people for having an illegal gambling ring that took bets on World Cup matches worth more than 66 million Hong Kong dollars. Earlier in the year the Hong Kong police set up a task force to help stop illegal football gambling.^[6]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^Deans, R. (2001). Online gambling: changes to Hong Kong's gambling legislation. Gaming Law Review., 5(6), Retrieved from http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/109218801753336166?journalCode=glrdoi:10.1089/109218801753336166
2. ^ ^abc'Responsible gambling policy'. Hong Kong Jockey Club. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
3. ^ ^abBalfour, Fredrick (22 February 2016). 'Hong Kong Horse Racing Is Serious Business'. Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
4. ^'Hong Kong's hardcore gamblers'. CNNMoney. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
5. ^Mok, Danny (1 September 2017). 'Hong Kong Jockey Club has record-breaking year'. South China Morning Post. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
6. ^Hong Kong police smash illegal world cup betting ring. (2010, June 13). Asia Pacific News, Retrieved from http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1062884/1/.html

External links[edit]

• The Study on Hong Kong People's Participation in Gambling Activities, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, March 2012
• Tse, Samson; Yu, Alex C.H.; Rossen, Fiona; Wang, Chong-Wen (2010). 'Examination of Chinese Gambling Problems through a Socio-Historical-Cultural Perspective'. The Scientific World Journal. 10: 1694–1704. doi:10.1100/tsw.2010.167. ISSN1537-744X. OCLC48386834. PMC5763971. PMID20842314.

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