Hong Kong Police warn of 2026 World Cup illegal betting surge

With the FIFA World Cup kicking off this week, police said they expect a rise in illegal betting activity over the coming month. Senior Inspector Jimmy Lau said the force had made a large number of arrests during major football tournaments in the past, with 1,104 arrests seen during the 2022 World Cup and 735 arrests made during Euro 2024.

Chief Inspector Alvin Wong said illegal gambling has become increasingly digitalized, with some betting platforms using non-local servers and accepting transfers through online banking or virtual currency to reduce the chance of detection. Wong warned that illegal betting can lead to debt, addiction, money laundering, and exploitation by criminal groups.