MR CHAN KIN-POR (in Cantonese): Thank you, President. I rise to speak in support of the passage of the Betting Duty (Amendment) Bill 2025 (“the Bill”). The Bill aims to regulate basketball betting activities through legislation and combat the increasingly rampant illegal gambling activities.
As shown by the documents, the number of illegal basketball bettors soared by 186% in 2024, involving 430 000 Hong Kong residents, with market turnover estimated to reach as high as $70 billion to $90 billion, reflecting that such demand does exist. Modelled on the existing football betting regime, the Bill brings basketball betting under regulation, which will steer the market demand into the legitimate and strictly regulated channel, thereby effectively plugging the loopholes, combating illegal operations and safeguarding public interests.
Since the Government’s regulation of football betting in 2003, it has diverted over $1,000 billion of turnover back to the legal channel. Without regulation, this enormous sum of money would likely have flowed into the unregulated and illegal gambling market. The Bill provides the legal basis for the Government to introduce a new duty, which is proposed to be charged at the rate of 50% of the net stake receipts from basketball betting, being on a par with football betting. The regulation of basketball betting undoubtedly opens a new source of revenue for the Government, and the associated income can be invested in areas such as healthcare, education, and support for the underprivileged, thereby benefiting society.
To address the prevalence of gambling, the Government pledges a multi-pronged approach to enhance public education and counselling services. This includes expanding the network of counselling centres under the Ping Wo Fund, promoting education in schools and families, utilizing channels such as the social media to publicize the harms of gambling, and explicitly reminding the public of the criminal liability for participating in illegal gambling. Moreover, the Bill has put in place multiple safeguards, including prohibition on accepting bets from juveniles, restriction on the time for advertising the conduct of betting, and prohibition on credit betting. The Bill can effectively combat illegal gambling while helping to establish a strictly regulated gambling environment in Hong Kong, making it worthy of support.
Furthermore, I would like to point out that the Hong Kong Jockey Club (“HKJC”) is a non-profit organization. Its revenue is used to cover operational expenses, pay the profits tax and betting duty, and make charitable donations. HKJC’s business operations are self-financing and receive no subsidies from HKJC. In short, increase in HKJC’s revenue will not confer any benefits on its members, including voting members. Therefore, this vote does not involve any direct or indirect pecuniary interests. For this reason, I think there is no need for declaration of interest.
President, I so submit.