Committee urges clarification on illegal mahjong gambling operations law

The Legislative Assembly’s Second Standing Committee continued discussions this week on a bill aimed at combating illegal gambling activities.

Committee chairman Chan Chak Mo said some members raised concerns about the measures against illegal operation of mahjong gambling establishments, such as whether restaurants and clubs could face legal consequences for simply providing venues for people to play recreational mahjong.

According to Chan, the government has explained that the relevant laws are targeted at unauthorized profit-making gambling operations. If a venue only allows “mahjong for fun” without allowing opportunities to gamble, it would not be committing a criminal offense. However, the committee is urging the government to provide further clarification on this matter.

The proposed bill also includes provisions that would allow law enforcement to search homes between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. without the time restrictions outlined in the Criminal Procedure Code, but only for cases related to illegal online or offline betting operations.

When questioned as to why these exceptions were limited to gambling crimes and did not extend to other serious offenses like money laundering, terrorism or organized crime, the government stated it would consider expanding the measures. Authorities remained open to potentially amending the Criminal Procedure Law to apply the same search allowances more broadly.

Additionally, the bill aims to crack down on the counterfeiting, alteration or unauthorized use of gambling chips. This measure is not limited solely to casino chips, but encompasses all chips used for gambling activities, including mahjong. Howard Tong