The Gambling Ordinance was enacted in 1977 to regulate
gambling in
Hong Kong.
People are allowed gamble for leisure and entertainment within these regulations at a limited number of authorized outlets. Social gambling is still allowed.
Legality
The
government of Hong Kong
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, commonly known as the Hong Kong Government or HKSAR Government, refers to the executive authorities of Hong Kong SAR. It was formed on 1 July 1997 in accordance with the Sino-Br ...
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.
Gambling involving a
bookmaker is illegal in Hong Kong.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Charities
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.
Recent events
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.
See also
*
Hong Kong Gamblers Recovery Centre
The Hong Kong Gamblers Recovery Centre ({{zh, 香港戒賭中心) was set up as a Bible-oriented non-profit registered organization in Hong Kong in May 2007, pledged to help pathological gamblers and their families.
Counseling Services
* Telephon ...
*
Culture of Hong Kong
The culture of Hong Kong is primarily a mix of Chinese and Western influences, stemming from Lingnan Cantonese roots and later fusing with British culture due to British colonialism (Jyutping: ; Traditional Chinese: 粵英薈萃). As an internat ...
*
Gambling in China
Gambling in China is illegal under Chinese law and has been officially outlawed since the Communist Party took power in 1949. Any form of gambling by Chinese citizens, including online-gambling, gambling overseas, opening casinos overseas to attra ...
*
Mahjong culture Mahjong is a strategy-based tile game developed during the Qing dynasty in China. It has since spread worldwide. The game has a long history and significance in many countries, particularly in Asia. Places like China and Japan have especially strong ...
*
Mahjong school
A mahjong school is a licensed venue in Hong Kong where people over the age of 18 can play mahjong.
Since 1871 privately run gambling businesses have been banned in Hong Kong; however mahjong-hosting venues have been tolerated by the Hong Kong gov ...
References
External links
The legislation known as The Gambling OrdinanceThe Study on Hong Kong People's Participation in Gambling Activities Hong Kong Polytechnic University
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is a public research university located in Hung Hom, Hong Kong near Hung Hom station. The University is one of the eight government-funded degree-granting tertiary institutions in Hong Kong. Founded ...
, March 2012
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gambling In Hong Kong
Gambling in China