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A new era for football betting

Karen Chan: “The whole society was very depressed at the time and we were happy to take more people on board.”

It was May 2003. Hong Kong was in the throes of SARS, an economy in recession and rising unemployment. The Hong Kong Jockey Club hosted a large-scale job fair at the Convention and Exhibition Centre to recruit staff to fill 4,000 new full-time and part-time positions created for regulated football betting operations. The response was overwhelming – some 40,000 people applied for the jobs.

Off-Course Betting Branch manager Karen Chan (left) fully supports the Club’s strong emphasis on responsible gambling.

With the regulated football betting service due to launch on 1 August that same year, 4,000 full-time and part-time staff were recruited as the big day neared. Karen Chan, an Off-Course Betting Branch (OCBB) manager, recalls that her team at the OCBB doubled in size thanks to the recruitment drive. “The whole society was very depressed at the time and we were happy to take more people on board,” says Karen. “Some colleagues joined our OCBB after losing their jobs, while some university students worked for us part time because they were football fans. The branch was suddenly rejuvenated.”

To combat illegal gambling, the Hong Kong SAR Government announced in 2003 the decision to regulate football betting. With approval from the Legislative Council, the Club became the sole operator authorised to provide football betting entertainment in Hong Kong. The change was intended to stop betting revenue from going to illegal operators, instead channeling it into employment opportunities, tax payments and social welfare projects. At the same time, the regulated football betting service presented new challenges to all front-line staff of the Club.

“We needed more support on all fronts, whether at the OCBBs, on Telebet or the online betting platform,” says Karen. “Due to the kick-off times of overseas football matches, OCBBs were closing at 11:30 pm instead of 8 pm. We also had to quickly learn how the regulated football betting works as well as the ins and outs of different pools.” She also remembers taking part in a series of timely training sessions with her colleagues and she was most impressed by the responsible betting education and training provided by the Club.

While satisfying the public demand for wagering, the Club strives to help the Government in combating illegal gambling by setting a scope for wagering opportunities. This involves limiting wagering opportunities, strictly prohibiting underage wagering and no credit betting. “As frontline staff, we always check if there is any underage visitor at the OCBB. Even today, we have to attend a responsible gambling training session every year to stay up to date.”

Karen Chan is delighted to see local neighbours watch games together in her branch, saying football can bring the community together.
Off-Course Betting Branch manager Karen Chan (left) fully supports the Club’s strong emphasis on responsible gambling.
The Club’s launch of regulated football betting in 2003 brought a shot of energy to ease the gloom of SARS, Karen Chan (right) recalls. In May 2003, the Club hosted a large scale job fair at the Convention and Exhibition Centre to recruit staff to fill 4,000 new full-time and part-time positions created for football betting operations. The response was overwhelming.

“Some locals in the neighbourhood just come over to watch the games and cheer their teams. It is a great atmosphere.”

Almost 20 years on from the launch of regulated football betting in Hong Kong, Karen is touched by how football has bridged the gap between people. “Some young football fans among our staff are great at customer service. They enjoy talking about football with our customers,” Karen notes. “Not everyone visits the OCBB to bet. Some locals in the neighbourhood just come over to watch the games and cheer their teams. It is a great atmosphere.”

Then Chairman of the Club Ronald Arculli (right) showed betting tickets at the launch of regulated football betting on 1 August 2003. Regulated football betting was launched by the Club in 2003 to support the Government to combat illegal betting.

Did you know?

The Hong Kong Jockey Club is authorised by the Government to provide wagering, via its subsidiaries, on horse racing and football and to operate the Mark Six lottery. This ensures that regulated channels are available to meet public demand for wagering and lottery services, thereby helping the Government combat illegal gambling. It also ensures that any proceeds benefit the community as a whole, whether in the form of tax and duty to the Government, proceeds to the Lotteries Fund or through the Club’s own charity donations.

To recognise its ongoing commitment to promoting responsible gambling, the Club received Level 4 accreditation, the highest level achievable under the Responsible Gaming Framework of the World Lottery Association (WLA), in 2021. The Club is the first operator in Asia to receive this recognition four times in succession. Please click here for more information on responsible gambling measures by the Club.

In 2021/22, this unique model of responsible wagering generated a total of HK$33.6 billion for the community. This included HK$27 billion to the Government in duty, profits tax and Lotteries Fund contributions and HK$6.6 billion in approved charity donations.

Regulated football betting was launched by the Club in 2003 to support the Government to combat illegal betting.
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