Chinese police crackdown on illegal Euro 2024 gambling operations

As football fans worldwide revel in the excitement of the UEFA European Championship (Euro 2024), Chinese authorities have been busy disrupting a wave of illicit online gambling activities related to the tournament.

In recent weeks, police forces across China have reported successful crackdowns on multiple cases of scammers taking advantage of the Euro 2024's popularity to engage in illegal gambling operations.
According to Chinese media, the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau announced that they had dismantled three online gambling rings, arresting 21 suspects. The police seized electronic devices, financial records, and other gambling-related items during the raids.
A similar case unfolded in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, where the Qingbaijiang police arrested two suspects. This gang had allegedly accumulated over RMB400,000 ($54,994) in bets by recruiting people to join a WeChat group and sending them betting odds.
According to the Shanghai government, scammers often create fake betting site links that closely resemble the official Euro 2024 website, tricking users into thinking they are the official designated betting platform. They manipulate the system to ensure initial small wins, but once the stakes are raised, the site's backend shuts down, making it impossible for users to retrieve their money.
Fraudsters have also been forging and widely distributing text messages, claiming to be from the official Euro 2024 website and stating that the recipient has won a prize. If people click on the link, they are asked to transfer money to a designated account under the pretext of paying taxes or fees, or their personal information is stolen.
The Beijing police have urged the public to be cautious when it comes to online gambling, watch games rationally, resist temptations, avoid participating in such activities, and pay attention to the protection of personal privacy.
The crackdown efforts are part of a broader campaign by Chinese authorities to maintain public security and order during the Euro 2024 tournament. As the competition continues, the police have vowed to intensify their efforts to disrupt any illegal gambling operations and protect the interests of football fans.
In Hong Kong, 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.
The detainees face charges of 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 ($58.9 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.

Sports Betting Police Crackdown Chinese China Asia

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