Is online gambling legal in Hong Kong? The Hong Kong Jockey Club hopes it is. The club is considering offering online betting on horse races, and the legal climate is sure to be a major factor in their decision-making process.
A government official told the South China Morning Post that betting on horse races over the Internet is legal. The Jockey Club's Net betting plans, however, might not be.
"The Hong Kong Government has never encouraged gambling," Secretary of Home Affairs David Lan Hong-Tsung, told the paper, "This is our policy." The Secretary made no specific reference, however, to the Jockey Club's plans.
Just last week, Easybets.com President Alan Weinrib had to call off plans for a press conference in Hong Kong where he was going to discuss global Internet gambling issues with media members. The press conference reportedly was cancelled when the company learned they might be running afoul of Hong Kong's anti-gambling legislation.
According to the Hong Kong Standard, Easybets considers itself among "global players with a clear policy of not wishing to violate any local statutes in any jurisdiction." In addition, a website intended for Hong Kong's Mark Six (which is run by the Jockey Club) lacked any betting information and was suspended several hours for "upgrading", the Standard said.
The press conference may have contravened Section 7 of Hong Kong's gambling laws, which state that it is an offence for any person to be engaged in bookmaking, or in any manner to solicit, receive, negotiate or settle bets by way of trade or business, or to assist another person in bookmaking. The case was referred to Hong Kong police.
Easybet couldn't be reached for comment.