Chinese authorities are bent on cracking down underground gambling syndicates, especially soccer gambling rings, after seeing an increased number of illegal betting activities since the beginning of this year.

In a press conference on Wednesday, Zheng Zehui, Guangdong's social security bureau director, said online bookies that accept illegal betting are on the rise especially after the World Cup kicked off last June 13.

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"Special efforts will also be made to crack down on gambling gangs, bankers, key members and beneficiaries," Zheng said. "Anyone who illegally organizes online soccer betting during the World Cup will have violated relevant laws and regulations and police will spare no effort to fight the crime," he added/

While there are a handful of legal sports betting operators in China, a report by a sports monitoring group suggests that soccer gambling fans may prefer underground online betting sites with higher prices and odds. Bookies and other online gambling sites illegally operating have wider variety of bet types and credit. Reports attributed the higher available stakes to non-payment of taxes.

Even before the World Cup in Brazil, Guangzhou police have arrested 42 people after a raid of a suspected online gambling ring in Panyu district. The raid took place on May 25, during the UEFA Champions League Final.

According to China Daily, the online gambling site, which opened early April, had transacted at least 380 million yuan (roughly US$61 million) worth of bets until May 23. Several computers and electronic equipment were seized and 120 bank accounts containing more than 1.2 million yuan (US$192,786) were frozen.

It is believed that at least a hundred local business executives had participated in the betting site, China Daily reported.

Guangdong officials have also worked closely with Macau police in a joint cross-border operation to bring down what authorities referred to as Macau's biggest illicit soccer-betting ring to date.

Preliminary investigations showed that the syndicate had dealt World Cup bets amounting to HK$ 5 billion, said Macau police spokesman Suen Kim Fai.

Twenty nine people were arrested and slips amounting to $100 million in bets in football and horse racing were seized.

In Shenzhen and Meizhou, some 66 suspects linked to an illegal gambling operation were apprehended on June 7. Investigations are still ongoing, but police were able to trace 66 bank accounts containing bets worth about 6 million yuan. The accounts were frozen pending further investigation.

Four other areas - Chaozhou, Foshan, Huizhou and Shantou - have also seen crackdowns on major online gambling rings in recent months.

Overall, Guangdong police have arrested a total of 58,154 suspects across 1,651 criminal gambling cases since the beginning of the year until June 13.

TagsFootball, Chaozhou, Foshan, Guangzhou, Huizhou, Shantou, UEFA, Zheng Zehui, betting, bookee, booker, Hong Kong, bet, illegal soccer betting