Over 100 people arrested for illegal World Cup gambling
More than 100 people have been arrested in Hong Kong for illegal gambling on football since the 2006 FIFA World Cup kicked off.
Police said betting slips worth more than 50 million dollars (6.4 million US) had been seized in about 50 operations since the opening of the World Cup in Germany on June 9.
In the nearby gambling centre of Macau, police raided a soccer betting racket on Saturday, seizing 100 million dollars (12.8 million US) in betting slips.
According to local press, the racket was operated by a Hong Kong triad gang. A Hong Kong man, a Macau man and five mainland Chinese men were arrested during the raid.
The World Cup finals are expected to prove a big draw for punters in Hong Kong where the government estimates 50-60 billion Hong Kong dollars worth of bets are placed with illegal bookies annually.
Legal soccer gambling was introduced in this gambling-mad southern Chinese territory in 2003 in a bid to drive underground bookmakers out of business.
But restrictions on the types of bets offered, coupled with the endemic nature of soccer betting here has meant the illicit trade continues to thrive.
Police said they have teamed up with forces in Southeast Asia and China to stamp out the problem.
