In a stunning display of psychic incompetence, Hong Kong’s leaders have scrapped their basketball betting dreams after realizing they forgot to sniff the mainland’s farts for policy direction.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan, who mistakenly believed he was hired to make money, had his soul crushed when Beijing reminded him that "proactive thinking" is only allowed if it involves praise for the Great Leader.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club, having already blown millions on infrastructure, has been told to consider the massive loss a "patriotic contribution" toward the inevitable collapse of their autonomy.

“We thought legalizing Steph Curry parlays would fix the deficit,” sighed one official while frantically deleting his search history.

“But then we saw a cloud over Shenzhen that looked like a ‘No’, so we nuked the whole plan like a total beta.”

The government is now considering a total ban on all balls, nets, and cognitive function to ensure no further embarrassing U-turns are necessary.

Future legislative sessions will consist of ministers staring at a portrait of the Big Boss until someone receives a telepathic signal to stop breathing.

Local punters are encouraged to return to illegal syndicates, as organized crime is significantly easier to navigate than the erratic mood swings of the Politburo.

Honestly, if these HK fellas were any more spineless, they’d be classified as jellyfish and served at a wedding dinner.