‘Harder to quit than drugs’: illegal online gambling fuels Hongkongers’ growing addiction

In the first of a two-part series tracing the new trends of illegal betting in Hong Kong amid excitement over the World Cup 2026, Edith Lin looks at how social media has become a new channel pushing the youth to engage in unlawful bookmaking activities.
Ken Chan* started betting on football matches when he was 18.
He started betting through legalised channels, spending a third of his income for a few years.
But he was soon enticed to bet on illegal platforms with their promises of tips and 100...