​Following is a question by the Hon Lee Chun-keung and a written reply by the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, in the Legislative Council today (April 1):

Question:

     It has been reported that many pinball machine shops have emerged in various districts across Hong Kong currently, and if the operation of pinball machine shops involves the provision of prizes, an Amusements with Prizes Licence must be obtained under the Gambling Ordinance (Cap. 148). Some members of the public are concerned that the gameplay of pinball machines involves odds and the placing of additional pinballs as bets, which may contain gambling elements, and young people should not be allowed to access such games alone. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the current number of pinball machine shops issued with an Amusements with Prizes Licence, with a breakdown by the 18 districts;

(2) of the number of reports involving pinball machine shops received by the law enforcement agencies in the past year, the legislation contravened in such cases, as well as the respective numbers of cases in which prosecutions were instituted and convictions were handed down;

(3) whether the law enforcement agencies have proactively investigated if local pinball machine shops are involved in illegal gambling or unlicensed operation in the past year; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(4) whether the authorities have plans to review and amend the existing legislation, such as requiring pinball machine shops to apply for an Amusement Game Centre Licence instead, and introducing additional requirements such as age restrictions and caps on prize values to strengthen regulation; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     Having consulted the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) and the Home Affairs Department (HAD), I provide the following consolidated reply to the question raised by the Hon Lee Chun-keung:

     According to the Gambling Ordinance (Cap. 148) (the Ordinance), operating a game of amusement with prizes requires an Amusements with Prizes Licence (AWPL). Generally speaking, if the operation of a pinball machine shop involves the offering of prizes, the operator should obtain such licence and comply with the relevant licensing conditions during the operation of the shop. The Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) under the HAD will process licence applications and handle related enquiries in accordance with the established mechanism, and issue licences to applicants after relevant licensing requirements are met. Whether an AWPL is required for individual premises depends on their actual operational circumstances. As of March 25, 2026, the OLA has been processing 53 applications for the AWPL from pinball machine shops.

     The existing Ordinance has already stipulated that, save for the circumstances specified therein, all unauthorised gambling activities constitute an offence. The HKPF is responsible for carrying out inspections and enforcement actions in relation to the Ordinance. It will conduct investigations into pinball machine shops suspected of violating the Ordinance and seek advice from relevant departments where necessary.

     The HKPF has been actively combating different types of illegal gambling activities by, inter alia, tackling such activities via established strategies and adopting a four-pronged approach through prevention, education, intelligence gathering and law enforcement to curb gambling offences, particularly those involving triad-related or organised crime. The HKPF has also been actively following up on all complaints related to various types of illegal gambling activities referred through different channels, and will deploy officers to carry out patrols, investigations and evidence-gathering operations.

     The HKPF will continue to closely monitor the trends in illegal gambling and conduct intelligence-led enforcement actions in a timely manner. It will strengthen publicity and education by, among other means, producing promotional video clips and disseminating anti-illegal gambling messages across conventional and social media platforms with a view to combating different types of illegal gambling activities. Enforcement actions will also be taken as appropriate based on the evidence collected. The law enforcement agency does not maintain a breakdown of cases regarding reports, prosecutions and so on involving pinball machine shops.

     The OLA has uploaded the information on premises holding a one-year AWPL to its website (www.hadla.gov.hk/el/en/entertainment/forms.php) for public inspection. The OLA will also proactively contact all current licensees and any individuals intending to operate pinball machine shops to remind them that, if they wish to install relevant machines in the licensed premises, they must first submit applications for the pinball machines to the OLA. Approved pinball machines will then be included in the list of approved games for amusements with prizes under that licence. The mode of operation of pinball machines must fully comply with the conditions of the AWPL, and strictly adhere to all relevant regulations during operation. In the meantime, the Government is reviewing matters relating to the regulation of AWPL and will consult the relevant Panel of the Legislative Council.

Ends/Wednesday, April 1, 2026
Issued at HKT 17:46

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