Hong Kong's Organized Crime and Triad Bureau will carry out anti-illegal gambling operations codenamed "戈壁" (Gobi) and "風盾" (Fung Tang) during this year's World Cup, the force said in its official OffBeat publication dated 24 June 2026. The operations will target the taking of off-shore bookmaking bets and illegal gambling1.
The announcement came alongside a wider publicity campaign built around the theme "參與非法賭博，令你恨錯難返" (taking part in illegal gambling leaves you with lasting regret). The force said the campaign is intended to raise young people's awareness of the law and to teach them about the potential harms of online gambling1.
On 5 June, Chief Inspector Wong Yu-fai and Senior Inspector Lau Kai-yin of the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau, together with police clinical psychologist Wu Chin-pang, gave a feature interview to several media outlets. During the interview they played footage of an interview with a young person recovering from a gambling problem, who described the painful experience of taking part in illegal gambling, as a warning to young people about its harms1.
Anti-illegal gambling promotional videos produced by the force have already been broadcast on multiple media platforms, according to the same account1.
"有組織罪案及三合會調查科亦會於今年世界盃賽事進行期間，進行代號「戈壁」及「風盾」的反非法賭博行動，打擊收受外圍賭注及非法賭博"
The publication does not state the start or end dates of the two operations, how many officers will be involved, or any specific targets. It also does not give figures for arrests, seizures or bets taken in previous World Cup operations. Those details have not been reported1.
What it means for players
The practical effect is a heavier police presence around betting activity during the World Cup period in Hong Kong. The stated focus is bookmaking, meaning the taking of bets, and illegal gambling more broadly, rather than any single betting product1.
For anyone in Hong Kong, the campaign draws a line between legal and illegal channels. Betting through offshore gambling sites and unlicensed bookmakers falls on the illegal side of that line, and the operations are aimed at the people accepting those bets as well as those placing them1. The rules that apply in the territory are set out in the gambling laws of Hong Kong, and the wider regional picture is covered in the gambling laws of Asia.
The campaign also singles out online gambling as a specific concern for younger people, and the force's messaging is built around the consequences of illegal betting rather than the odds or the size of any market1. The World Cup is a peak period for sports betting across the region, and the World Cup betting guide sets out which options are legal in each jurisdiction.
What happens next
The operations are scheduled to run during this year's World Cup, which the force describes as taking place this year1. No dates, duration or results have been published. The promotional videos are already running on multiple media platforms, and the media interviews took place on 5 June1.
Sources1 sources
- 反非法賭博宣傳活動, police.gov.hk
