Asian Euro 2016 betting busts reach knockout round

Another week brings another round of Euro 2016 betting busts by Asian law enforcement.

Our first stop takes us to Hong Kong, where police are busy tallying the score of their Operation Crowbeak anti-betting crackdown. Police say they’ve arrested over 50 individuals and confiscated around HKD 130m (US $16.7m) in Euro 2016-related betting slips.

Police reported that more and more bookmakers were eschewing the old evidence-heavy practice of recording betting information on paper slips, opting instead for encrypted texts sent via the WhatsApp messaging service. This technological switch was forcing the HK police to solicit more help from their cybersecurity teams.

A conviction for illegal bookmaking in Hong Kong carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison and a HKD 5m fine. Individual bettors can face prison sentences of up to nine months and fines of up to HKD 30k.