After winning legislative backing for the Hong Kong Jockey Club to offer basketball betting – an initiative aimed at drawing punters away from illegal online bookmakers and capturing additional tax revenue – the government has now paused the roll-out. Officials say the rise of prediction markets has altered the landscape and warrants closer examination. So,…
Hong Kong’s leader has defended the government’s decision to put the legalisation of basketball betting on hold, stressing the policy was never intended to encourage gambling and that all risks must be controlled before any further steps are taken. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu made the remarks on Tuesday after the government’s surprising U-turn last…
Prediction market platforms offering diverse gambling options and attractive odds are surging in popularity, observers have said, warning about payout risks amid Hong Kong authorities halting plans to legalise basketball betting. They also said on Tuesday that Hong Kong residents who took part in these platforms, which use cryptocurrency for transactions, could be breaking gambling…
Hong Kong’s sole legal betting operator and lawmakers were caught off guard by the government’s abrupt decision to suspend the rollout of legal basketball betting, which some believe was intended to align with Beijing’s efforts to curb gambling amid a surge in prediction markets. The government confirmed on Monday that it had suspended its plan…
Hong Kong’s sole legal betting operator had earmarked HK$1 billion (US$127.7 million) and hired 180 people to develop a basketball wagering system, but will now take a financial hit after the government announced this week it was halting plans for its roll-out, a source has said. The source close to the Hong Kong Jockey Club…
This is the introduction to Checks and Balance, a weekly, subscriber-only newsletter in which our writers turn their gaze to the latest political developments in America. The past year has seen a new surge in activity on prediction markets, with “event contracts” traded on digital platforms. Sign up to Checks and Balance here. I am not…
(Bloomberg) — Robinhood Markets Inc. shares rose over 12% after Chief Executive Officer Vladimir Tenev said the online-stock brokerage has made strong inroads into prediction markets, where people wager on elections, sporting matches and other widely followed events. The executive said in a post on X on Monday that Robinhood customers have now transacted more…