Gambling Laws in Hong Kong
Various forms of
gambling in Hong Kong are legal under the
Gambling Ordinance from 1977 and the Gambling (Amendment) Ordinance from 2002 and the Betting Duty Ordinance. According to the Gambling Ordinance (Cap. 148), all gambling activities in Hong Kong are illegal except those authorized by the Government which includes authorized horse racing, football betting and Mark Six lottery, as well as betting premises licensed by the Government or those exempted under the Ordinance. The online versions of the above mentioned games comprise the sphere of
legal online gambling in Hong Kong.
The body responsible for regulation of the gambling activities in the country is the Home Affairs Bureau. According to
Hong Kong gambling laws, minors, under 18 years of age, are prohibited to participate in gambling activities.
Is Online Gambling Legal in Hong Kong?
Yes, online sports betting, horse betting and lottery are legal in Hong Kong. |
Online Casinos in Hong Kong
As of June 2018, there are no
online casinos in Hong Kong. Online casinos do not fall within the legal gambling games allowed in this autonomous region, although there are plenty of land-based casino facilities. Foreign
internet casino sites are not blocked from targeting potential casino players from Hong Kong.
Online Poker in Hong Kong
Although there are no specific
Hong Kong online poker laws, online poker does not fall within the sphere of legal gambling in Hong Kong. Consequently, there are no
online poker sites in Hong Kong. However, beside this prohibition, there are various
online poker sites, licensed elsewhere in Asia, that regularly target Chinese poker players.
Online lottery in Hong Kong
The Hong Kong Jockey Club is the state licensed provider for all sorts of lotto games in the country including the
online lottery in Hong Kong. The origin of the Hong Kong Jockey Club date back to 1884 when it was granted a monopoly over all legal gambling in Hong Kong, including horse racing, lotto games and sports betting. Currently the most popular lotto games game it administers is the Mark 6 Lottery.
Online bingo in Hong Kong
Although there are no specific
Hong Kong online bingo laws, online bingo does not fall within the sphere of legal gambling in Hong Kong. Consequently, as of June 2018, there are no
online bingo sites in Hong Kong. However, beside this prohibition, there are various online bingo sites, licensed elsewhere in Asia, that regularly target Chinese poker players.
Online sports betting in Hong Kong
Online sports betting in Hong Kong is regulated with the Betting Duty Ordinance. The only
online sportsbook sites in Hong Kong are run by the Hong Kong Jockey Club. The football betting offer, provided by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, is considered to be one of the top betting services worldwide. Foreign
internet sportsbook sites are actively being blocked by the authorities.
Online daily fantasy sports in Hong Kong
Online DFS sites in Hong Kong do not have a legally regulated status. There is an ongoing debate on the status of this type of game, but considering the legality of online sports betting in the region it is very probable that
internet Daily Fantasy Sports would soon receive a legal status in Hong Kong.
