bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Jo Bowman

An online gambling centre is taking bets from Hong Kong punters on the outcome of tonight's TVB music awards, in another affront to authorities who are trying to outlaw Internet gaming.

Easybets.com, which three years ago struck trouble for taking bets on Mark Six, is offering odds for the best female singer, best male singer and best song categories of the Jade Solid Gold awards.

The Government says the company is acting against the spirit - but not the letter - of local gambling laws.

Those laws are expected to be changed within months to make it illegal for online betting to be promoted or conducted in Hong Kong.

Easybets.com operates from Antigua, in the Caribbean, but has hired marketing executives in Macau to promote the site in Hong Kong.

'We definitely do not want to see our programmes being used as a gambling tool,' a TVB spokeswoman said.

'But we don't have any control over an organisation whose activities are outside Hong Kong.'

An official with the Home Affairs Bureau, which is seeking Legco approval for amendments to the Gambling Ordinance, said the Easybets case was similar to that of DrHo.com, the online casino fronted by Macau tycoon Stanley Ho Hung-sun.

Last week, the Sunday Morning Post  reported that DrHo.com was exploiting a loophole in the law by sending e-mails to Hong Kong residents offering US$50 (HK$390) to new players.

'As long as Easybets is operating outside Hong Kong, whatever events they're taking bets on, be it an overseas soccer event or an event that's being conducted in Hong Kong, it doesn't matter because the current ordinance does not cover that kind of activity,' the official said.

Chris Chan, of G-Master Technology, the marketing company used by Easybets, said from Macau that offering odds on the TVB awards marked the start of things to come.

'It's legal,' Mr Chan said. 'Easybets' marketing strategy is to focus on Asia and it's going to offer more and more local betting events like this.'

Under the revised law, all phone and Internet bets with offshore bookmakers would be illegal. Gamblers would risk a $30,000 fine and nine months' jail, while the bookmakers could face a $5 million fine and seven years' jail. Sceptics question how the Government would be able to enforce such a law, when almost everybody has access to a phone, a computer and a credit card - the only tools needed to bet overseas.

The Home Affairs official conceded enforcement would be difficult but said the new law 'will substantially affect their operations'.

The Government also hopes that by outlawing offshore betting it can deter SAR residents from placing such bets, and that responsible gaming companies will respect Hong Kong law and stop pursuing local punters.

Direct contact with offshore bookmakers to explain the new law when it took effect was a possibility, the official said.



Online bets on TVB show mark new strategy