Lawmakers on Thursday approved a government bill to legalise basketball betting in Hong Kong as the government pledged stronger efforts to tackle illegal gambling.

The regulatory regime, which was put forward to the legislature as amendments to the Betting Duty Ordinance, received support from 77 legislators. Two lawmakers voted against the bill, while two others abstained.

The bill's passage will see the Jockey Club becoming the sole licensed basketball betting operator. A 50 percent duty will be charged on net stake receipts from basketball betting, calculated as bets received minus dividends payable, matching that for football betting.

Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak said legalising wagering on the sport is only one of the measures in the government's work against illegal betting while vowing to step up law enforcement and publicity efforts.

"And for public education on how to publicise the bad influence and effects of illegal betting and irresponsible gambling, we will launch a series of new measures, including public education and publicity measures focused on teenagers," she said.

Backing the regulation during the bill's second reading, finance-sector lawmaker Ronick Chan said legalising basketball betting would safeguard the overall interests of society and create a "more transparent and responsible gaming environment".

"This legislation will narrow down the scope of illegal basketball betting and redirect turnover that previously flowed into the illegal market to regulated formal channels," he said.

A number of lawmakers who supported regulating betting on the sport called for measures to minimise the risks and harm to young people, including Connie Lam.

"We must not underestimate the appeal of basketball to young people... I have previously suggested the government consider capping the betting amounts available to young people, such as setting a monthly limit of HK$500 or HK$1,000 for those aged 18 to 25," she said.

Chu Kwok-keung, representing the education sector, was among a few opposing the bill.

"Over the past 20 years, we have seen a steady increase in the number of gamblers after football betting was legalised, with signs of such activities skewing towards the younger generations... Allowing basketball betting would simply offer another option of gambling," he said.

Welcoming the approval, the Jockey Club vowed to continue to work closely with the government to tackle illegal betting.

The club also said it would pursue responsible gambling practices.