Betting Duty (Amendment) Bill 2023 to be gazetted

The government said it would collect a total of HK$12 billion in additional betting duty over the five years, while existing betting duty rates stay unchanged¹. The measure was intended to raise government revenue in the short term while narrowing the impact of any tax increase¹.

The existing football betting operator's parent entity, the Hong Kong Jockey Club, has undertaken not to reduce its commitment to local charities, according to the announcement¹.

The announcement did not state how the additional duty would be collected from operators, whether it would affect bet types, odds or commissions, or whether the Jockey Club would pass any cost to customers. Those points have not been reported¹.

What it means for players

The bill changes the duty paid by the football betting operator, not the rules on who may bet or how. The government said existing betting duty rates remain unchanged, and the additional levy is charged to the football betting operator rather than to bettors directly¹. The announcement does not say whether the operator will adjust odds, commissions or product offerings in response, and no such change has been reported¹.

For people who bet on football in Hong Kong through the Jockey Club, the practical position at the time of the announcement was that the legal operator, the markets it offers and the way bets are placed were not set out as changing. The Jockey Club's stated commitment not to reduce its local charitable contributions is the only operator response recorded in the announcement¹.

What happens next

The announcement does not give a date for the bill's passage or commencement, and no further steps have been reported¹.

For background on how betting duty works across the region, see Betting Duty, GST and Franchise Tax on Horse Racing Bets and Recent and Pending Gambling Law Changes in Asia. For the Hong Kong market itself, see Can I Gamble in Hong Kong?, Can I Bet on Sports in Hong Kong? and Betting on Horse Racing in Hong Kong.