Hong Kong's government is reviewing the regulation of the Amusements with Prizes Licence (AWPL), including claw machines, and will consult the relevant Legislative Council Panel on proposed measures in May 2026. The Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Alice Mak, set out the position in a written reply to a question from lawmaker Chan Pui-leung in the Legislative Council on April 29, 20261.
Under the Gambling Ordinance (Cap. 148), operating a game of amusement with prizes requires an AWPL, and a Places of Public Entertainment Licence under the Places of Public Entertainment Ordinance (Cap. 172) is a prerequisite for any AWPL application1. The reply noted that a High Court ruling means typical claw machine venues where people clamp items upon payment no longer need a Places of Public Entertainment Licence1. Whether an individual premises needs an AWPL depends on its actual mode of operation, and the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) will issue warnings or revoke a license where conditions are breached1.
On claw machine complaints, the OLA received five, two, six, five and two cases involving some elements of suspected unlawful gambling in each year from 2021 to 2025, all referred to the Hong Kong Police Force1. The Customs and Excise Department's figures for suspected breaches of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (Cap. 362) were:
| Case category | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reported cases | 18 | 16 | 86 | 158 | 171 |
| Prosecution cases | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Convicted cases | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
The prosecutions concerned possession for sale or trade of goods bearing a forged trade mark under section 9(2) of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance. Across four prosecution cases, customs arrested five people and seized 49 claw machines from 11 shops; in the three convicted cases, sentences were community service orders or a suspended sentence1.
"the Government is reviewing the regulation of the AWPL, including claw machines as raised in this question, and will consult the relevant Panel of the Legislative Council on the proposed measures next month"
The reply also addressed pinball machine shops, which the question said offer "odds" and "points" and expensive prizes. The government said the police handle inspections and enforcement under the Gambling Ordinance and investigate shops suspected of violations, and that the OLA publishes information on premises holding one-year AWPLs on its website1. On prevention, the reply cited the Ping Wo Fund, established in 2003, which funds counseling, treatment and public education on gambling-related problems, particularly for young people1.
What it means for players
The review concerns the licensing rules that apply to venues offering prizes, including claw machines and pinball machine shops. For operators and customers in Hong Kong, the legal position described is unchanged for now: a game of amusement with prizes requires an AWPL, and unauthorized gambling is an offense under the Gambling Ordinance1. The reply states that whether a specific premises needs an AWPL depends on how it actually operates, so the license question turns on the venue's business model rather than the machine type alone1. The government has not reported what measures it will propose, so the practical effect on players is not yet known. More background is in the guide to gambling laws in Asia and the page on whether you can gamble in Hong Kong.
What happens next
The government says it will consult the relevant Legislative Council Panel on proposed measures in May 20261. No timetable for completing the review or announcing results was given in the reply1.
