A gold-catalyzed regiospecific hydration of N-tosyl propargylic amines has been developed. In the presence of a catalytic amount of the gold catalyst NaAuCl4·2H2O, both alkyl and aryl-substituted N-tosyl propargylic amines were smoothly converted into the corresponding β-amino ketones with excellent regioselectivities and high yields (up to 85%). Further transformations of the obtained β-amino ketones