Hong Kong residents are permitted to bet online with the Hong Kong Jockey Club. The Hong Kong Jockey Club is authorized to offer betting on lotteries, horse racing and football over the internet. In 2002, the Hong Kong Legislative Council banned offshore gambling, including offshore internet gambling, by passing the Gambling (Amendment) Ordinance.
Gambling in Macau has been legal since the mid-19th century when the government legalized gambling to help generate revenue. Macau introduced a licensed monopoly system soon after, and that system remained in effect for over a hundred years.
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- Betfair Country & Territory Restrictions: Where Is It legal? As with our previous list, this one is also subject to change and it is always worth checking the legal situation regarding online gambling in your own country before betting. Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) Swedish Kronor (SKK) UK Pounds (GBP).
- Hong Kong permits certain forms of gambling, as long as they are managed by the government-sponsored Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKKC), such as horse races, football matches and lottery. Mahjong is another gambling activity that is allowed to operate in Hong Kong and poker appears to be in a gray area, still running in an underground manner.
It was not until 2002 that the Macau government lifted their monopoly system, allowing gaming operators from around the world to apply for a license and compete in the Macau market.
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Formerly a colony of Portugal, Macau has been under the control of the People’s Republic of China since 1999 as one of China’s two Special Administrative Regions (Hong Kong being the other).
While China has ultimate authority on foreign matters and national security, Macau still retains most of its autonomy and is still responsible for running their own legal system and local government. This autonomy extends to gambling laws, which China did not interfere with when it gained control.
Macau has very liberal gambling laws, and as such, gambling of all forms can be found throughout the territory and the nearly 40 casinos that operate within it, including casino games, lottery, horse racing, sports betting, and poker.
Macau has always been considered the major gambling hub of the east, but now that it has liberalized further and opened itself up to the world market, its place atop the world rankings in gambling revenue is of little surprise.