Chief Executive John Lee today said it is important for the Government to thoroughly assess emerging risks before proceeding with the rollout of basketball betting in Hong Kong.

In remarks before an Executive Council meeting, Mr Lee addressed the recent decision by the Home & Youth Affairs Bureau to pause the implementation of basketball betting, despite the passage of the Betting Duty (Amendment) Bill 2025 last year.

The legislation was originally intended to provide a legal avenue for basketball betting to combat illegal gambling operators. However, the bureau recently halted the rollout citing the rapid global rise of unregulated prediction markets.

“When the Government implemented the Gambling Ordinance or its related policies, then it is appropriate for the responsible bureau, which is the Home & Youth Affairs Bureau, to regularly review the situation,” Mr Lee noted.

“If they have found risks they want to address to ensure that the risks will be properly mitigated, then it is important that they think thoroughly before they will proceed further, to ensure that all these risks are properly controlled.”

“The rapid growth of the prediction market is really beyond anybody's expectation. We have to be very sure how it will impact the gambling scene in Hong Kong,” he added.

Mr Lee reiterated the bureau should not move forward without a full understanding of the current environment, rather than proceeding blindly.