Share

China busts World Cup gambling rings

Beijing - Chinese police have uncovered a series of illegal World Cup betting cases involving almost $3bn, media reported Monday, as authorities struggle to control the country's growing gambling problem.

Betting is banned in China, except where it is run by the government or the proceeds donated to charity - but outlawed operations, which usually offer more favourable odds, spike during the World Cup.

"The number of people arrested (during the tournament) was 108, and the cash involved totalled 18bn yuan ($2.9bn)," the Guangming Daily said, citing police, in a report which referred to an unspecified number of betting rings.

The sum is likely to be only a small fraction of what was gambled illegally during the tournament.

China failed to qualify for the World Cup in Brazil, but there is nonetheless huge interest in football betting.

Only a small portion of it goes to legal gambling through the state-sanctioned lotteries, but that element was still expected to total more than 10bn yuan ($1.6bn) on the tournament, which concluded Sunday when Germany defeated Argentina in the final.

Illegal betting in China usually takes place via outlawed websites, and can involve gamblers having to pay substantial "membership fees".

In May, police in Shanghai detained 63 people for being involved in an illegal online gambling operation that was alleged to have handled more than 113bn yuan.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.93
-0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.91
-0.1%
Rand - Euro
20.44
+0.1%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.34
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.1%
Platinum
906.59
+1.1%
Palladium
1,012.66
+1.1%
Gold
2,221.01
+1.2%
Silver
24.85
+0.9%
Brent-ruolie
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
68,346
+1.0%
All Share
74,536
+0.9%
Resource 10
57,251
+2.9%
Industrial 25
103,936
+0.6%
Financial 15
16,502
-0.1%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders