Hong Kong’s Legislative Council has formally passed the Betting Duty (Amendment) Bill 2025, legalizing regulated betting on basketball matches. The vote was overwhelmingly in favour — 77 votes yes, with just two opposed and two abstentions. Under the new law, the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) will be the sole licensed operator for basketball betting.
Thailand’s political winds have shifted: with Anutin Charnvirakul ascending to Prime Minister, he has made clear that gambling will not be part of his economic toolkit. Anutin, long seen as a more conservative voice in Thailand’s politics, has rejected proposals that gambling—particularly casino legalization as part of “entertainment complex” bills—be used as a lever to boost tourism, attract investment, or shore up state revenues.
A South Korean court has partially sided with Kangwon Land Inc., the operator of the only casino in the country open to locals, in a dispute over how often and when payments should be made to the Abandoned Mine Fund. Under a December 2024 amendment in Gangwon Province, Kangwon Land was required to move from biannual to quarterly payments of 13% of its casino revenue under the Special Act on the Assistance to the Development of Abandoned Mine Areas. The first quarterly payment, based on its first-quarter 2025 gross gaming revenue of KRW 316.8 billion (~US$32.2 million), was due in May 2025 for KRW 44.7 billion. Kangwon Land challenged the change, arguing it imposed overly short notice and could cause a default under the tighter schedule.
Australia appears to be edging closer to sweeping reform in the regulation of gambling advertising, particularly online wagering. A parliamentary inquiry in 2023 — known as the Murphy Review, titled You Win Some, You Lose More — made several bold recommendations: among them a phased ban over three years on all online gambling advertising, stronger harm-reduction measures, and tighter regulation of inducements and sponsorships. After delays and political debate, the government is reportedly ready to “proceed” with these reforms, with Communications Minister Anika Wells seen as a champion of restricting gambling ads during times with high viewership (especially around sports broadcasts), and possibly banning or limiting ads online and on social media.
The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on a network of Cambodian entities—including casinos turned criminal compounds—for orchestrating massive cyber fraud and human trafficking operations. Among the targets was T C Capital Co. Ltd., owner of the Golden Sun Sky Casino and Hotel in Sihanoukville, which was repurposed to facilitate virtual currency scams and launder illicit proceeds. These facilities, built as legitimate casino complexes, became entrenched hubs for criminal activity—often involving victims trafficked and forced into exploitative labor.
Author: Janice Chew • Thursday, 11/09/2025
