Hong Kong Police Launch the “Gobi and Wind Shield” Operation: Crack Down on Illegal World Cup Gambling and Trace and Respond to Virtual Asset Betting

Deep Tide TechFlow message, on June 8, according to Sing Tao Daily, the World Cup will kick off on June 11. Hong Kong police have launched the “Gobi and Wind Shield” operation to crack down on illegal offshore gambling from four main directions: publicity, education, intelligence, and law enforcement. The police said that in recent years, illegal gambling has shown a digital trend, including online betting, recruiting gamblers through social media, and settling bets with virtual currencies. However, the police said they still have the ability to trace participants.

Under the law, placing bets with offshore bookies can result in a maximum sentence of 9 months in prison and a fine of 50,000 yuan, while “accepting bets” carries a maximum sentence of 7 years in prison and a fine of 5,000,000 yuan. “Money laundering” carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison and a fine of 5,000,000 yuan. The police also shared a case of a young man who became addicted to offshore gambling; at his peak, he owed 160,000 yuan in debt, and the transaction records from his accounts affected his job prospects. Clinical psychologists warned that for those who start gambling before the age of 18, the risk of developing gambling disorder later in life is over 80%, urging the public, especially teenagers, to stay away from offshore gambling.