78 arrests as Hong Kong police bust underground ‘mini-casino’ and racecourse betting syndicate

Police have arrested 78 people during a Hong Kong Island anti-triad operation, targeting an underground “mini-casino” in North Point and a gang organising illegal racehorse betting. Forty-two men and 36 women were arrested between July 7 and Monday, Vincent Lo, senior inspector of police said in a media briefing on Tuesday. Happy Valley Racecourse. File photo: GovHK. The arrestees were aged 16 to 68, with some having links to organised crime. They were arrested on suspicion of various offences, including operating an illegal gambling establishment, gambling in an illegal gambling establishment, trafficking in a dangerous drug, claiming to be a member of a triad society, wounding, possession of an offensive weapon and money laundering. Four illegal gambling dens and 10 premises offering illegal prostitution were dismantled, the police said, adding that they seized drugs worth around HK$500,000. The raids were part of a joint anti-triad operation across Guangdong province, Hong Kong and Macau, Lo said. Hong Kong Police Force. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Lo said the “underground gambling den” in North Point was located within a ground-floor residential unit of about 1,000 square feet. It featured a mahjong and baccarat area, resembling a “mini-casino,” Lo said. “To attract nearby residents to stay and gamble, the den also provided three meals a day and beverages,” Lo said in Cantonese, adding that it is estimated that the operators saw a maximum monthly income of around HK$400,000. Illegal betting inside Happy Valley Racecourse Police also dismantled a criminal syndicate which organised illegal bets on horse racing inside the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s (HKJC) Happy Valley Racecourse. After receiving a report from the HKJC saying it suspected there were cases of illegal betting at its racecourse, the police investigated and took action on the race day of July 8. They arrested one Hong Kong resident and six mainland Chinese men holding two-way permits on the premises. The first race of the Lunar New Year on February 19, 2026, at Sha Tin Racecourse. File photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. The gang allegedly began the operation last year. Police are still examining whether a large-scale syndicate was controlling the illegal betting behind the scenes. The seven arrestees claimed to be businessmen, workers, security guards, or unemployed. They had no triad background and claimed to have met while gambling, Lo said. Safeguard press freedom; keep HKFP free for all readers by supporting our team Support HKFP | Policies & Ethics | Error/typo? | Contact | Newsletter | Transparency & Annual Report | Apps Make a one-off donation. Irene Chan is a reporter at Hong Kong Free Press and has an interest in covering political and social change. She previously worked at Initium Media as chief editor for Hong Kong news and was a community organiser at the Society for Community Organisation serving the underprivileged. She has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Fudan University and a master’s degree in social work from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Irene is the recipient of two Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) awards and three honourable mentions for her investigative, feature and video reporting. She also received a Human Rights Press Award for multimedia reporting and an honourable mention for feature writing. More by Irene Chan