The Government has issued a football-betting licence to a wholly-owned subsidiary company of the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

HKJC Football Betting Limited began operating today, under the Betting Duty (Amendment) Ordinance.

Secretary for Home Affairs Dr Patrick Ho said the licence would enable the operator to capture the expected upsurge in demand for football betting when the international football season peaks in August.

Punters would otherwise turn to illegal channels, Dr Ho said.

The main objective of authorising football betting was to combat the growing problem of illegal football gambling by diverting existing demand for football betting into a regulatory channel, he stressed.

"The licensing conditions seek to strike a reasonable balance between the need to ensure the competitiveness of authorised football betting against its illegal counterparts locally and round the world; and the need to put in place an adequate regulatory system to minimise any negative impact on the community," Dr Ho said.

A Football Betting & Lotteries Commission will be set up soon to advise the Secretary for Home Affairs on the licensing and regulatory matters relating to football betting and lotteries, as set out under the (Amendment) Ordinance.