Police said today they had busted an illegal gambling outfit that racked up USD 645 million in wagers on the World Cup in a week -- including a single bet of USD 5.1 million.
Twenty-two people were arrested in the operation, which police described as the largest-ever case of its kind in the Asian gambling enclave, according to reports.
"Records showed that (betting) had reached 5 billion Hong Kong dollar. It has already surpassed the biggest betting case in history," Suen Kam-fai, a spokesman for the Macau police told Hong Kong's Cable News channel.
More than USD 258,029 in cash was found in Macau hotel rooms that served as the ring's operating base, along with computers, records and other items.
Police found evidence of the USD 5.1 million bet during the bust, according to the South China Morning Post.
Footage shown on the channel showed those arrested wearing black masks and handcuffs, lined up during a press conference.
The group was composed of four Hong Kong residents, nine Malaysians and nine from the Chinese mainland, the Post reported.
Singapore authorities last year placed leaders of a global match-fixing ring operating from the city-state in indefinite detention after uncovering plans to rig the World Cup, according to a book released on Monday.
Doha-based watchdog International Centre for Sport Security warned in a May report that Asian-dominated criminal groups are laundering more than USD 140 billion in illegal sports betting annually.
