Hong Kong Online Casinos

Choosing Top Online Casinos in Hong Kong

Choosing an online casino in Hong Kong is not the most challenging thing since any that allows residents to participate is welcome. What you want to look at, which is where this site comes in, is the casino legality from licensing to banking methods. You want a compatible partner who makes your fun times easy instead of making betting a task. We review the best casinos for players in Hong Kong here.

Wide Choice of Payment Methods

One of the factors we look at when selecting the best casinos is the number of payment options and their nature. Cards – definitely debit – and direct bank payments are options used all over the world, but they are at times a little costlier and may take longer to process payments, which is why internet payments such as PayPal and Neteller are much preferable. Since these options are not always available in all countries, we review casinos whose payment options are accepted in that domicile.

Licensing

Licenses are the one thing that tells you the legality of a casino online, and we look into that before anything else. A licensed casino is authorized to hold information and has the mandate to protect it when it is shared so that you can comfortably give out your card information. Licensing also means your winnings are paid out as they should. There are three foremost authorities when it comes to international online gambling sites: Malta Gaming Authority, the UK Gambling Commission, and Curacao, and there is also PAGCOR for fairness and game auditing. We look at all these before reviewing and only vouch for casinos that have complied with all the set standards.

Support Options

When you are new at gaming or a casino, you need a little help to know where everything is and how it works. The right support team should take you through the ropes to help you settle well into your new home. We prefer teams that can be reached through email, phone calls, and live chats. Variety is critical, so people from various parts of the world can get in touch in their time zones and still get responses within reasonable time intervals. The speed of response also matters a lot, as does the language of communication.

Bonuses for Hong Kong Players

Incentives are given not only to welcome people onboard casinos but to retain a market share too. Most Hong Kong casinos understand how to work numbers by giving handsome bonuses for new registries as we all as promotions to existing players. We select casinos with great rewards to ensure players get the best out of their money when they start playing for real money. Of course, we also like those with free games for new players.

A mixture of Casino Games

Slots are popular, but they cannot be the only available option for players at a casino because that would bread boredom. We prefer casinos with specialty games such as Bingo, table games for those who want to take bigger risks, and other options that make things even more interesting. Sports betting is huge in HK, and so houses offering this get more action than those who don’t.

Online Casino Laws in Hong Kong

Online gambling in Hong Kong is a grey area since the very government that restricts it shows no plans of prosecuting those that gamble online. The 1977 Gambling Ordinance was passed to protect citizens from getting too caught up in organized gambling that it turned into a crisis. The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), founded in 1884, was and remains the government’s way of controlling betting. To this end, the HKJC is the largest taxpayer to the government and has over 25,000 employees through taxes paid from these controlled gambling activities, which include horse racing, football betting, and Mark Six lotteries.

Online gambling in the territory is quite interesting because as much as it is termed illegal, the government makes no effort to restrict players from accessing it. At least 90% of HK’s youth gamble online through casinos registered outside of its borders. Cruise ships that act as offline casinos allow players to board before taking off into other waters outside of HK to place bets and then going back to dock. Online casinos are not licensed in HK, but international providers are not barred from conducting their business there. This means players can easily select any casino, place wagers, and get paid just like any other punter in other parts of the world.

As far as online gambling income goes, players are not taxed on them since the government does not recognize them. They do not have to hide their IP either because no action is taken per se on gamblers.

Online Gambling in Hong Kong

The HKJC remits 79% of its gambling proceeds to the government, making it the most significant HK’s taxpayer. The forms of gambling allowed here by the law are Horse Races, Football Betting, and Mark Six Lottery, which are considered social betting. They have been allowed for decades and controlled this way by the government to prevent abuse. Approximately HK $21.7 Billion is collected as gambling tax revenue, mainly because the government imposes higher percentages on these activities to manage rather than discourage them. This then means not much is done to prevent players from accessing online gambling sites set up internationally.

Payment Methods at Hong Kong Online Casinos

It is quite hard to find casinos in HK offering to pay in HK dollars as they are all foreign-owned or registered, and so most payments are in USD. That is not a problem as residents are used to making the required conversions when buying credits for gambling. Usual banking methods accepted at most casinos here include bank transfers and debit cards that are universally accepted even though payments may take longer to process.

Other options that users have in Hong Kong include WeChat Pay, AliPay, Union Pay, and Skrill. Payments reflect almost as soon as they are made, and charges are naturally lower than conventional banks. Additionally, users can also access the Bitcoin casino for their transactions.

Casinos line up all their payment options so players can see from the get-go how they will be depositing and withdrawing their monies.

Online Casino Sites Accepting HKD

Since most Hong Kong online casinos are not locally established, they are unlikely to accept HKD as their primary currency. A few do, but the majority take the USD so that payments are converted to USD when they are made in any other currency. Since the player then bears resulting charges, eWallets are handy since their cost is negligible. Players are encouraged to use cryptocurrency where it is accepted or PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, WeChat, and others that allow quick transactions without the unnecessary hefty charges synonymous with conventional banks.

Mobile Casino Hong Kong

When we talk of online casinos, we have to consider both instant and downloadable versions. We also like to make it known that players can access most casino games from their smartphones, depending on developers. Slots, the most popular of all casino games, are developed by different companies even though their mode of playing is similar, and the various entities use their technology of choice. HTML5 is the latest option that developers use to make their games available at a mobile casino online and for a smooth transition.

When played over a PC, players don’t have to download games these days as they are available on instant play. You can still choose to download games to play when offline. When playing at any casino in Hong Kong, see if they have these versions of online games; mobile version, over the PC, instant play, and downloadable games.

Online Casino Games in Hong Kong

Casinos in HK have several options for games that include players of all levels. There are slots from different developers, table games that are a staple in offline casinos, and live games straight from studios. Whichever game you choose to play, there is a high chance that the provider has it in a free practice version that you can then use to perfect your practice. Most casinos registered in jurisdictions that accept HK players have a wide variety of games, so players don’t get bored of one type.

Hong Kong Online Slots

There are different variations of slots.

• Classic
• Video
• Progressive
• Jackpot
• 3D slots
• Penny Slots

They differ in how they are played, but most of these slots have similar features and risks. Players need to learn a few of these variations to play all of the rest. Slots also come in different themes depending on the developer. Top themes include Ancient Egypt, Mythology slots, Horror – think vampires, Oriental – Asian themes, Movie themes – Game of Thrones, Jurassic Park, Music, Fairy Tales, Fruits, and Irish themes. Most casinos work with a group of developers whose variety makes slots enjoyable and unpredictable.

Hong Kong Table Games

Table games have been at the center of gambling long before online gambling became an aspect to consider. They are games of chance whose best representation is blackjack, roulette craps, and baccarat. They have been played at land-based casinos for long and are considered a reserve of seasoned players until online casinos made them available to rookies for free. Now you can play these games at any casino without paying a dime until you are seasoned enough to play against other players with the same or even more knowledge that yourself at online casinos in HK.

Live Dealer Games in Hong Kong

Those who want to experience the offline casino craze will head to the online live casino gaming section where a version of table games is played from a live studio. The live gaming section will have Blackjack, Roulette, Sic Bo, Bull Bull, and Dragon Tiger that are unfortunately not available for free.

Live gaming connects online and offline gamers through a live dealer from a remote studio through high-definition computers to an audience miles away. As you would at a land-based studio, you select a table, choose your dealer, place your bet, and wait for your fate. The live dealer controls all the action, including spinning the wheel, but winners are randomly selected through a computer program to ensure fair gaming. Since the action is live, players can chat with each other and even exchange banter with the dealer through their computers. This form of gambling has gained lots of popularity among players who prefer old-school gambling but love online betting convenience.

Hong Kong Online Casino Bonuses

Some of the HK casinos’ bonuses are welcome bonuses, promotions for existing players, and discounts to exclusive players. Welcome bonuses can be in the form of Deposit or No deposit options that are just as the words suggest. Free spins are yet another option that allows you to play for longer than you paid through spins, even though these are limited to certain games.

Bonuses come with wagering requirements that give guidance on how players can withdraw winnings. Usually, you will be required to play several times before the money is available as a balance in your account. These rewards have time limits that players want to look at in the terms and conditions even before they start playing.

Welcome Bonus

Welcome offers are only given during the first registration for an account at any casino. They are the ideal way to welcome users onboard, and most casinos use them to hook players in. They come in different forms – a percentage top-up for every coin deposited or a simple balance such as $5 regardless of the amount you deposit.

When you receive a welcome bonus, you will want to take advantage of it right away because most of them have time limits. They are also not available to withdraw until you have fulfilled some set requirements that you want to know before accepting the offer.

No Deposit Bonus

These are quite rare to find, and even when you get them, their wagering requirements are usually relatively high. It is almost expected that you will need to play 20 to 50 times the offer amount to withdraw it. As the name suggests, players get this form of bonus without depositing a dime. All they have to do is register an account for the offer to be available and effective.  The nature of these bonuses also makes them more limited for time than any other. They are no-risk bonuses.

Free Spins

They are an offer made for specific games at a casino, sometimes to popularize that slot. They are pretty easy to get – register an account, claim your free spins through the code given, then go ahead and spin. They can only be applied to the slot allowed, and usually the amount you can bet is limited. They are also time-barred, just like other bonuses. Depending on the slot provider, players may get free spins with playthrough requirements that they would have to meet before withdrawing their cash, or without so that winnings are available immediately.

Conclusion: Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Casinos Hong Kong

Though HK has not legalized organized gambling and doesn’t look like it will soon, residents can still enjoy online gambling through international companies. The government hasn’t done much to prevent providers of these services from operating in the territory, and so players can indulge without fearing they might be breaking the law.

Advantages

• Convenient since you can play from anywhere through mobile devices
• Several bonuses that aren’t available offline
• Wide variety of games, including traditional table games

Disadvantages

• Since it is illegal, there is no much government involvement that would usually protect players.
• International companies do not tailor-make their services to HK residents.

It helps to know that most of the games at online casinos are available for free on practice mode for Hong Kong players to hone their skills.

History of Gambling in Hong Kong

Since the Gambling Ordinance of 1977, organized gambling in Hong Kong has not been legal, and so punters have had to look for loopholes to stay on the safe side of the law. Through the Hong Kong Jockey Club, the government has a monopoly on all gambling activities in a bid to protect citizens from being exploited. This means that sites outside the supervision of this club are unauthorized by the law. Fact: football betting generates so much income for the country that it is currently the government’s largest taxpayer. Other forms of gambling accepted here without too much government control include horse race wagering and lotteries.

Organized gambling wasn’t always illegal on this island. When British forces defeated China to control Hong Kong in 1841, they introduced their style of ruling that included gambling. A set of legislation was also introduced that imposed higher taxes on all acts of gambling to get more revenue out of it while pretending to discourage it. This new order, the “Ban Gambling Regulations” of 1844, became the guide on how the country treats gambles. That said, players have found ways to access international online casinos by playing at internationally registered casinos. As long as one is not caught gambling outrightly, they are safe from prosecution.

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