Blitz of arrests over illegal gambling within racecourse & flats

Police arrest seven people in connection with an illegal gambling crime group which operated inside the racecourse.

A separate crackdown on triad activities across Hong Kong Island sees around 80 people rounded up.

As part of a joint anti-triad police blitz conducted across Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, the Hong Kong Island Region Division launched a two-week operation early July to combat triad gangs in the district.

Officers raided four gambling dens, two arcade machine gambling venues and 10 prostitution establishments.

There, they seized cash, gambling paraphernalia and over 500,000 dollars worth of drugs.

A gambling den at a residential unit in North Point even provided three meals a day to gamblers.

Police describe the den as operating like a mini-casino, with an estimated monthly income exceeding 400,000 dollars.

A total of 42 men and 36 women, aged between 16 and 68 have been taken in-- with some believed to hold triad backgrounds.

Separately, following a tip-off from the Hong Kong Jockey Club over suspected cases of illegal betting inside the racecourse through gambling websites on race days, police apprehended seven individuals on July 8 at the racecourse.

They include six men holding two-way permits.

Police say since 2025, the syndicate had routinely reserved secluded spots in the public stands on race days to gamble illegally.

They used mobile phones to place live bets on off-track gambling websites.

Preliminary findings show on the day of the arrest alone, the group placed more than 100,000 dollars in bets during the first five races alone.

The seven arrestees have been released on bail pending further investigation.

Police are investigating the total amount involved and whether a crime group controlled the operation behind the scenes.