9 men arrested in Hong Kong over illegal gambling during Lunar New Year break
- Hong Kong police arrest suspects on Fuk Wa Street in Sham Shui Po for allegedly gambling and running illegal booths
- ‘It is illegal to gamble on the street. Police will continue to patrol the area and strive to combat illegal street gambling activities within the district,’ force warns
Hong Kong police have arrested nine men on suspicion of illegal gambling or operating unlawful betting booths during the Lunar New Year break.
The suspects included one local and eight non-ethnic Chinese men aged 18 to 54, who were arrested on Fuk Wa Street in Sham Shui Po on Sunday evening, the force on Monday said.
“It is illegal to gamble on the street … Police will continue to patrol the area and strive to combat illegal street gambling activities within the district,” police said.
Earlier on Sunday, an image circulating on social media showed punters playing the Chinese dice game “Fish-Prawn-Crab” in broad daylight. It is not yet known whether the arrests were connected to the incident.
The centuries-old gambling game involves three dice with symbols that include a fish, a prawn and a crab, among others. Players then bet on which combination of symbols will come up with every roll.