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Chinese authorities have launched a nationwide crackdown on illegal FIFA World Cup betting networks as surging interest in the tournament fuels both legal sports lottery sales and unlicensed gambling activity, while police in Malaysia have dismantled an online football betting syndicate targeting customers during the competition.
Chinese police warned that illegal gambling operators were exploiting the FIFA World Cup’s popularity by offering unlicensed betting platforms promising higher odds and guaranteed returns, even as the country’s legal sports lottery market recorded a sharp increase in sales during the tournament.
In one of the largest recent operations, police in Jiande, in eastern China’s Hangzhou Province, dismantled a cross-border gambling network targeting football fans, seizing about $148,000 in illegal customer deposits and arresting eight suspects.
Three alleged organisers remain in pretrial detention, while the remaining suspects received administrative penalties. Investigators believe additional people may still be involved.
In a separate operation in Jiangyou, Sichuan Province, police arrested four suspects accused of operating an illegal World Cup betting website. Officers seized more than 300,000 yuan ($44,000) and said the group promoted betting links through WeChat and other social media platforms while using temporary payment channels and frequently changing online accounts to evade detection.
Police have also conducted similar raids in Guangxi Province and Xi’an as part of a broader campaign against illegal gambling during the tournament.
The enforcement campaign comes as China’s legal football lottery market experiences strong growth. Football lottery sales reached 6.87 billion yuan ($956 million) between June 8 and June 14, up 97% from the previous week, according to the China Sports Lottery.
Retailers have reported increased customer traffic during the tournament, with some betting outlets generating daily sales of up to 100,000 yuan ($13,900). Official figures showed China’s total lottery sales reached 627.97 billion yuan ($87.3 billion) in 2025, including 419.39 billion yuan ($58.3 billion) from sports lottery products.
Authorities warned football fans to avoid illegal betting platforms, saying operators often entice users with promises of guaranteed profits and better odds while exposing them to fraud and other criminal activity. The nationwide crackdown will continue throughout the FIFA World Cup.
Meanwhile, in Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur police raided an online football betting syndicate operating from a shop office in Cheras, arresting 32 Chinese nationals, including 29 men and three women aged between 20 and 40.
Police seized 28 computers, mobile phones, internet modems and other equipment believed to have been used by the syndicate.
According to the Investigators, the group managed customer betting accounts, supervised betting transactions and promoted online football gambling through the website 6288.com. Police believe the operation had been running for about three weeks.
“The case is being investigated under Section 4(1)(c) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953, Section 4(1)(e) of the Betting Act 1953, and Section 6(1) of the Immigration Act 1959/63,” Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Fadil Marsus said.
Fadil said police would continue to intensify Op Soga XI throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup, focusing on betting agents, organisers and individuals involved in physical and online gambling. Op Soga is a recurring Royal Malaysia Police enforcement framework specifically timed to major international football tournaments.