Hong Kong Police Launch Operation “Gobi and Wind Shield” to Combat Illegal Gambling and Virtual Asset Betting During World Cup

BlockBeats News, June 8th, according to Sing Tao Daily report, the quadrennial World Cup will be held on June 11th. The Hong Kong police expect illegal gambling activities to increase during the event. To this end, they have launched Operation “Gobi and Wind Shield” to crack down on illegal online gambling activities and enhance public education and awareness, especially targeting young people.

The Hong Kong police pointed out that in recent years, illegal gambling activities have become more digitalized in terms of promotion, communication, and betting methods. Some even use virtual currencies for betting transactions to evade law enforcement detection. However, the police still have the capability to track down participants and urge the public not to engage in online gambling.

During the 2024 UEFA European Championship, the Hong Kong police arrested 735 individuals through Operation “Gobi and Wind Shield.” During the 2022 World Cup, the police also arrested 1104 individuals through the same operation. Throughout last year, the police uncovered a total of 374 major gambling-related crimes, arrested 4482 individuals, seized proceeds of crime amounting to HK$3.08 million, and confiscated records of bets totaling HK$11 billion.