It is no secret that Hongkongers enjoy a wager. The Hong Kong Jockey Club (the Club), which operates the city’s three legal betting services – horse racing, football and the Mark Six lottery – has been a revered Hong Kong institution for 140 years. But illegal gambling and its associated problems, such as credit betting, debt and crime, remain a persistent challenge, particularly during major international sporting events. To combat this, the Club actively collaborates with the government and law enforcement agencies to prevent and address unregulated betting activities.
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“As the city’s sole licensed betting operator authorised by the Hong Kong government, we have robust frameworks in place to promote responsible gambling,” says Freely Cheng, the Club’s head of external affairs. “We enforce strict age verification, prohibit credit betting and provide self-exclusion options. We also train our staff to act in accordance with the responsible gambling policy and have a stringent approval process for new products.”
Indeed, the Club has been granted World Lottery Association Level 4 certification for the fifth consecutive time since 2011. This is the highest level of international accreditation for responsible gambling, positioning the Club as one of Asia’s leading operators dedicated to safe wagering.
However, the Club’s purpose differs from that of other betting operators around the world, many of which are listed companies that aggressively market their wagering products to increase revenue. “We see ourselves as partners with the government and police, sharing resources in helping to combat illegal gambling activities,” Cheng says. The regulation of betting products, he adds, ensures that gambling proceeds benefit the community as a whole.
The Club has a unique integrated business model encompassing world-class racing and racecourse entertainment, a membership club, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charities and community contributions. Through this, the Club channels betting proceeds back to the community, generating economic and social value. In 2003, for example, the Club allocated funding to the government to establish the Ping Wo Fund, which supports responsible gambling education with counselling and treatment services. As of 2024/25, the Club had contributed HK$631 million to the Ping Wo Fund.
The “Off-course Betting Branches Counselling Outreach Programme” offers another example of the Club’s commitment to responsible gambling. Organised by the Club with the support of four non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that operate the gambling counselling and treatment centres funded by Ping Wo Fund, the project was launched in 2017 and expanded in 2022 to cover all the Club’s off-course betting branches.
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As gambling habits evolve, so too must the methods of outreach. “In the past, people sought help only when they hit rock bottom,” says Joseph Fung, a caseworker at Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Even Centre, one of the Club’s four partner NGOs. “Now, we focus on early detection, even before individuals realise they have a problem.”
