Hong Kong police have warned football fans that using overseas betting websites could breach local gambling laws even if the platforms claim to be legally registered abroad, as authorities prepare for a predicted surge in wagering over the Fifa World Cup that begins on June 11.
Police issued the warning after Fifa named its first prediction market partner for the World Cup.
The force stressed that anyone in Hong Kong who placed bets with a local or overseas bookmaker outside authorised channels could be prosecuted under the Gambling Ordinance.
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“Some online gambling websites claim they are legally registered overseas,” said Chief Inspector Wong Yu-fai of the force’s organised crime and triad bureau.
“But anyone gambling on these so-called legal websites in Hong Kong may already have committed the offence of betting with a bookmaker.”
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Authorities recorded 374 serious gambling cases last year and arrested 4,482 people, seizing more than HK$3 million (US$382,900) in cash and crime proceeds. Officers also seized betting records for HK$1.1 billion.