Police Bust Gambling Ring in Hong Kong China

It was game over for an illegal cross-border football gambling syndicate when China and Hong Kong police busted the group recently. Reports from RTHK, a Hong Kong broadcaster, stated that the police seized at least 7 billion Yuan, which is over one billion US dollars. 93 people from Hong Kong and China who were part of the joint venture were arrested.

The reports also stated that when police record of illegal gambling from the 2006 World Cup season was compared to those of 2010 and it was found that the betting figures had risen four times.

Hong Kong was once a British colony and was returned to China back in 1997. Football and horse racing fans were allowed to legally bet on a wide variety of sports events including the World Cup. In 2009 about 35 billion Hong Kong Dollars were placed on legal football betting according to the records from the Jockey Club.
It was reported by the South China Morning Post that the police have started a series of raids in the financial hubs ever since the World Cup began. Over 55 illegal bookmakers have already been arrested in this time.

Police have said that most bets received by the illegal betting syndicate were over the internet and telephone through more than 400 bank accounts. This is the largest number of bank accounts that has been involved in an illegal football betting case that has ever been recorded. The details of the operation will be released by the police in a formal statement soon.

Over the years, the passion for betting on the World Cup has steadily grown and illegal bettors continue to offer odds to gamblers. Online bookmarkers are offering much better odds and simpler credit terms with top casino bonuses, but the online casino bonuses from the illegal counterparts are none-existent.