​The Home Affairs Bureau and the Home Affairs Department held a briefing for the trade today (March 30) on the exemption of electronic sports (e-sports) venues from the requirement of Amusement Game Centre (AGC) Licence.
The Government strives to promote the development of the e-sports. Depending on the actual operation of e-sports venues, their business operation may be subject to the regulation under the Amusement Game Centres Ordinance (Cap. 435) (AGCO). Some of the licensing requirements under the AGCO applicable to traditional AGCs, if applied to the e-sports venues, may hinder the long-term development of the e-sports industry. As such, the Government will adopt an appropriate mechanism to exempt e-sports venues from the requirements of AGC Licence.
The Under Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Jack Chan, who chaired the briefing session, said, "considering that the mode of operation of e-sports venues is different from that of traditional AGCs, we will, in accordance to section 3 of the AGCO, exempt eligible e-sports venues from the requirement of AGC Licence."
The Home Affairs Department introduced the exemption arrangement to the trade at the briefing. The exemption mechanism will be underpinned by three principles: business facilitation, removing red tape and barriers, and ensuring safety of premises. To facilitate the trade, the Office of the Licensing Authority under the Home Affairs Department will provide one-stop services to process exemption applications for e-sports venues.
The Home Affairs Department will soon publish the "Guidance Note on Application for Exemption of E-Sports Venues from the Requirement of Obtaining an AGC Licence", setting out the details of the exemption arrangements, for the trade’s reference and to facilitate their compliance.
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