I heard a self-serving comment by a commentator this morning downplaying the seriousness of this charge.
His assertion that this " minor offence" would be treated more leniently in Australia is not a valid argument.
These are the laws of a sovereign nation and must be respected while any person is a guest/resident in that nation.
Make no mistake....racing is no longer a "sport"...it is a major industry/business, probably in the top five employers, number-wise in our economy. Similarly, racing is the most popular recreational industry in HK and they do not want anything to potentially taint their industry which may have a negative effect on their tourism and wagering turnover revenue.
So, as a business associate of mine stated:....if you do the crime....you do the time(not suggesting anything untoward occurred in HK).

Cheers.