A total of 62 people had been arrested for illegal gambling as of last Monday since the Euro 2024 tournament kick-started in mid-June, according to security minister Chris Tang Ping-keung.
In a written reply to questions raised by lawmaker Chan Hak-kan, Tang said on Wednesday that police conducted Operation Nearspace to crack down on illegal gambling websites last month.
As of June 24, a total of 62 people were arrested for conspiracy to commit bookmaking and money laundering.
Among them, five were core members, 25 were suspected either to be “middlemen” or to have taken part in the operation of the bookmaking websites by assisting in the money laundering process, and 32 were holders of stooge accounts.
The involved amount exceeds HK$460 million and police investigation and enforcement operations are ongoing, the security chief added.
Tang continued that the police have been maintaining close intelligence exchanges with the mainland, Macau and overseas law enforcement agencies to combat bookmaking and the related gambling activities.
A total of 181 people were arrested for serious gambling offenses by the police from January to May, he noted.
Tang also said the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau and the Ping Wo Fund have launched a territory-wide anti-gambling publicity campaign, which aims to raise public awareness of gambling-related problems and promote no-gambling messages during the tournament period.