Vietnamese police arrested 85 people accused of running two illegal betting networks linked to the World Cup, reportedly involving an estimated $133 million in wagers. The networks had operated since October through local intermediaries using accounts on illegal platforms based in Cambodia, according to the report.
The arrests indicate enforcement action against illegal betting networks and their local intermediaries in Vietnam.
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Indonesia’s National Police reactivated its Anti-Football Mafia Task Force to pursue illegal sportsbook operators and gamblers during the 2026 World Cup, the force said. The Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center said soccer bets account for most illegal online wagers, while Bandung’s mayor warned civil servants they could face sanctions for betting.
Police in Sichuan Province said illegal online gambling networks use prepaid e-commerce cards, gift vouchers and gaming credits to fund accounts and move money. An investigation found that a retailer’s store handled more than 20 million yuan in one month, while police said redemption platforms and money mules helped convert vouchers into cash.
Police in Panzhihua, Sichuan, said they dismantled a cross-border sports-gambling network that used online World Cup streaming channels to attract viewers. Officers said it generated more than 2 billion yuan, arrested 20 people and seized 23 mobile phones and 15 sets of livestreaming equipment; the investigation remains active.
Chinese police reported arrests and detentions in several cases involving illegal World Cup-related gambling, including seven suspects in Xi’an held on suspicion of operating an illegal gambling business. Police said the Xi’an network’s transaction volume exceeded 100,000 yuan; authorities also described cases involving online promotion and football betting in other provinces.
Police in Decatur, Alabama, arrested five people after searching a home in the 1000 block of Hoover Avenue SW on 20 October. Officers found several gambling machines, an undisclosed sum of cash and an assault rifle; the suspects face charges including promoting gambling and simple gambling.
Police in Decatur, Alabama, arrested five people after searching a home in the 1000 block of Hoover Avenue SW on 20 October. The Decatur Police Department, its Vice/Narcotics Unit, Special Enforcement Team and Special Weapons and Tactical Unit executed a search warrant at the property. The five people arrested were charged and released on bond later that day, the report said.