Hong Kong lawmakers have approved a bill to legalise betting on basketball matches as authorities aim to tackle illegal gambling, with the 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.

Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak said legalising wagering on the sport is only one of the measures in the government’s work against illegal betting while vowing to step up law enforcement and publicity efforts. 

“And for public education on how to publicise the bad influence and effects of illegal betting and irresponsible gambling, we will launch a series of new measures, including public education and publicity measures focused on teenagers,” she said.

Backing the regulation during the bill’s second reading, finance-sector lawmaker Ronick Chan said legalising basketball betting would safeguard the overall interests of society and create a “more transparent and responsible gaming environment”. 

“This legislation will narrow down the scope of illegal basketball betting and redirect turnover that previously flowed into the illegal market to regulated formal channels,” he said. 

A number of lawmakers who supported regulating betting on the sport called for measures to minimise the risks and harm to young people, including Connie Lam. 

“We must not underestimate the appeal of basketball to young people… I have previously suggested the government consider capping the betting amounts available to young people, such as setting a monthly limit of HK$500 or HK$1,000 for those aged 18 to 25,” she said.