The Hong Kong Police Force has arrested 19 people, including prominent members of the city’s local football scene, as part of a joint operation with the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), against illegal bookmaking and match fixing.
Those arrested are said to include former Hong Kong Footballer of the Year Lo Kwan-yee, now 41, plus seven current players in the city’s top divisions and two high-profile coaches.
According to information released by the ICAC, the 19 people were part of a crime syndicate suspected of operating an illegal bookmaking ring involving both local and international matches, including World Cup matches, as well as bribing football players to fix match results in local games for illicit profits.
The syndicate’s activities were revealed during an ICAC investigation into another corruption case involving match-fixing.
The ICAC said those arrested are suspected of breaching the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance by fixing the results of local football matches through bribery to enable the bookmaking syndicate to make profits.
Its investigations uncovered irregularities in at least four First Division matches in the 2024/25 and 2025/26 seasons, as well as an Under-22 match in the 2025/26 season. While the coach and the player acting as betting agents are suspected of collecting bets for the syndicate, a portion of these bets was allegedly used to bribe other football players to fix matches in local games so that the syndicate could profit from the match results.
The mastermind of the syndicate is said to have created multiple accounts across illegal gambling websites which were then entrusted to associated football players, who managed finances and accepted illegal bookmaking bets from acquaintances, including individuals within the football community.
The illegal betting activities covered both professional and amateur football matches, locally and overseas, at various levels.
The ICAC said the syndicate had been operating for approximately two to three years, handling an estimated total of over HK$6 million in illegal bets.
Police outlined their belief that the joint operation has successfully dismantled the criminal syndicate and cut off its sources of income, although the operation remains ongoing and further arrests have not been ruled out.
“The ICAC does not tolerate any corrupt attempts to undermine the integrity of the local sports community or the Hong Kong society,” it stated.
“Corruption will be fully investigated by the ICAC. If members of the public suspect any corrupt practices, they should report them to the ICAC immediately.
“With the quadrennial World Cup currently underway, members of the public are reminded not to be influenced by peers or the tournament atmosphere into participating in any illegal gambling activities.”
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