Hong Kong's Home and Youth Affairs Bureau said the government had stopped plans to introduce basketball betting, citing the rapid growth of prediction markets. The government said it would study the sector's effects before reconsidering the proposal; officials did not rule out a later launch.
The decision delays a proposed new betting product and leaves its regulatory timetable uncertain.
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Hong Kong Jockey Club chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said at a private roundtable that Britain’s affordability checks could drive customers to unlicensed operators. He cited findings from the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities linking the checks’ introduction with increased traffic to offshore betting sites; the UK Gambling Commission has defended its pilot.
Hong Kong’s Home and Youth Affairs Bureau suspended plans to regulate basketball betting, which had been scheduled to launch in September 2026. The bureau said it would study emerging models and platforms more closely amid concerns about prediction markets; the proposed market had been intended to operate under the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club is reviewing a drop in local betting turnover across five of the first six meetings of the 2026/27 racing season, the report says. At Sha Tin on 27 September, local wagering on an 11-race card fell 11.5% year on year to HKD1.359bn. Chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges cited smaller fields and competition from overseas simulcast racing as possible factors.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club is reviewing a decline in local betting turnover at five of the first six meetings of the 2026/27 racing season, the club said. At Sha Tin on 27 September, local wagering on the 11-race card fell 11.5% year on year to HKD1.359bn, according to a report attributed to the South China Morning Post.
Reportedly, UK Tote Group has named James Coxon as its next chief executive. He will replace chief executive Alex Frost, who steps down at the end of 2026. Frost will serve as an executive director in 2027 before becoming a non-executive director.
James Coxon is to become the next chief executive officer of the UK Tote Group. He takes over from Alex Frost, whose departure comes at the close of this year. Frost is to remain involved with the business as an executive director during 2027, after which he will move into a non-executive director post.
Reportedly, Hong Kong Jockey Club has appointed Mark Hedges as digital platforms director. Hedges previously served as HSBC’s global head of digital platforms and spent 22 years at the bank. The appointment accompanies increased technology investment by the club.