Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) and Police have dismantled an alleged criminal syndicate accused of manipulating local football matches and operating an illegal betting network that profited from both domestic and international games, including FIFA World Cup fixtures.
The joint enforcement operation, codenamed "Double Edge," began on June 23 and resulted in the arrest of 19 suspects believed to have played different roles within the organization.
The ICAC arrested nine men aged between 22 and 49, including two active football coaches and seven current or former players. Investigators allege that several members accepted and paid bribes to influence the outcome of local First Division and Under-22 League matches, allowing the betting syndicate to profit from manipulated results.
According to investigators, at least five local football matches across the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons are suspected to have been fixed. Authorities said some coaches and players also acted as intermediaries, collecting illegal wagers before using part of the betting proceeds to bribe players.
Separately, Hong Kong Police arrested another 11 people, including five alleged core members of the betting operation and six bettors, one of whom is an active local league player.
Police believe the syndicate had been operating for approximately two to three years through accounts created on several illegal gambling websites. The network allegedly accepted wagers on both local and overseas professional and amateur football matches, processing more than HK$6m in illegal bets.
The ICAC said it will continue pursuing corruption in sports through enforcement, prevention and education, while police reminded the public that both illegal bookmaking and placing bets with unauthorized bookmakers are criminal offenses under Hong Kong law.
Meanwhile, the Football Association of Hong Kong, China reiterated its zero-tolerance stance on match-fixing and pledged its continued cooperation with investigators.
Match-fixing is a criminal offense in Hong Kong under the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance, while illegal bookmaking and betting are punishable under the Gambling Ordinance
