Gambling industry insiders are mystified by police claims that illegal soccer betting is not a serious problem.
In announcing the force's tactics on Thursday for fighting the crime for next week's soccer World Cup, Organised Crime and Triad Bureau Chief Superintendent Choy Kin-cheung said the situation in Hong Kong was not serious because most people were law- abiding.
Mr Choy said the figure of $60 billion spent on illegal soccer bookmaking - a recent estimate by gambling industry sources, including Jockey Club insiders - was exaggerated, while adding it was impossible for police to know how much was spent illegally.
He also expressed doubts that schoolchildren were placing illegal bets.
Franny Mok Yuk-lan, from the Rehabilitation Centre for Problem Gamblers, said its clients were getting younger, with many saying they bet with illegal bookmakers.
'We do not understand how he can say it is not a serious problem, or even play down the amount of illegal gambling in Hong Kong,' Ms Mok said.
'This is a problem that is getting bigger all the time and there are more and more young gambling addicts who start through soccer.'
