59 charged in busted illegal online betting operation

59 individuals were indicted for their roles in an illegal online sports betting ring with operations spanning Macau, Hong Kong and mainland China, the Public Prosecutions Office announced Friday. The defendants are accused of criminal association and illegal gambling for earning commissions from football and basketball betting websites hosted abroad that authorities say raked in over MOP1.08 billion since 2016. A joint operation resulted in the bust and seizure of nearly MOP8.6 million in cash locally. Two of the 59 defendants are in pretrial detention while the others are out on bail but banned from leaving Macau pending charges carrying up to three years in prison.