Hong Kong's Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Christopher Hui, answered a Legislative Council question on combating illegal online gambling on October 14, 2026, setting out enforcement, anti-money laundering and public education measures. The question was asked by the Hon Nixie Lam1.
Hui said illegal gambling is an indictable offense under the Gambling Ordinance (Cap. 148), and that betting with an illegal bookmaker is an offense whether it happens online or offline. Conviction for participating in illegal gambling carries a maximum penalty of a $50,000 fine and nine months in prison. Knowingly promoting or facilitating bookmaking or betting with a bookmaker, online or offline, carries a maximum of a $5 million fine and seven years in prison1.
On money laundering, Hui cited section 25 of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance (Cap. 455), which makes it an offense to deal with property known or reasonably believed to be the proceeds of an indictable offense, including illegal gambling. Anyone who knows or suspects such a link must promptly file a suspicious transaction report with the Joint Financial Intelligence Unit. He said selling or lending bank accounts for use as stooge accounts may also constitute that offense, and that figures on people arrested, prosecuted and convicted over stooge accounts in the past three years are set out in an annex to the reply1.
Hui said regulated entities, including banks and stored value facility licensees regulated by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and licensed corporations and licensed virtual asset trading platforms regulated by the Securities and Futures Commission, must establish anti-money laundering and counter-financing of terrorism controls covering customer due diligence, transaction monitoring and suspicious transaction reporting. Depending on risk, they may conduct stricter due diligence, verify client instructions, restrict or suspend transactions, or refuse to execute them, and must cooperate with law enforcement follow-up, including restricting accounts and restraining or freezing assets1.
On technology, Hui said the HKMA has held industry sharing sessions encouraging banks and stored value facility licensees to apply artificial intelligence in transaction monitoring, and that the SFC published a Report on the Adoption of Regtech for Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Financing of Terrorism in November 2024. He also cited the Fraud and Money Laundering Intelligence Taskforce, an intelligence-sharing platform comprising the Hong Kong Police Force, the HKMA, banks and stored value facility licensees, which has circulated alerts on illegal gambling threats and methods1.
On prevention, Hui said the Government does not encourage gambling and applies a multi-pronged strategy of enforcement, public education, counseling and legislation. The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau established the Ping Wo Fund in 2003, and since 2020 it has given priority to funding initiatives on preventing online gambling. He said the fund will keep reminding the public of the legal consequences of illegal gambling, particularly among young people1.
"As a matter of policy, the Government does not encourage gambling."
The reply did not give a figure for arrests, prosecutions or convictions in the text, referring instead to the annex. It also did not set out any legislative timetable for requiring online platforms to screen, remove or report illegal betting content, or for penalties on platforms; the question asked about this and the reply did not address it1.
What it means for players
The reply restates that placing a bet with an illegal bookmaker is an offense in Hong Kong whether done online or offline, with a maximum penalty of a $50,000 fine and nine months in prison on conviction1. That applies to residents and visitors who bet through unlicensed operators, as set out in the guide to illegal betting in Hong Kong.
The money side matters too. Under section 25 of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance, dealing with property believed to be the proceeds of an indictable offense, including illegal gambling, is itself an offense, and selling or lending a bank account for use as a stooge account may also be one1. That means players whose accounts receive or move gambling funds can face money laundering exposure beyond the gambling offense itself.
The reply also confirms that banks and stored value facility licensees are expected to monitor transactions, restrict or suspend accounts and freeze assets on law enforcement direction1. For practical consequences of enforcement against players across the region, see cases by jurisdiction, and for the wider legal picture, online gambling in Asia.
What happens next
The reply gives no dated next steps. It states that the HKMA and the SFC will continue to engage with the industry on the responsible use of technologies such as artificial intelligence, and that the Ping Wo Fund will continue its publicity and education work1. No timetable for new legislation on platform duties was provided1.
Sources1 sources
- LCQ4: Combating illegal online gambling activities, info.gov.hk
