Lawyer warns Cambodia casino-dealer interview may breach law
HK01 · 1 SOURCESabout 4 hours ago5 MIN
Summary
A report featuring a female influencer, identified as Lok Tung, said she had worked as an online baccarat dealer and described how she encouraged gamblers to place larger bets while in a Cambodian compound. Lawyer Luk Wai-hung (陸偉雄) said Hong Kong gambling activities are governed by the Gambling Ordinance, Cap. 148, and that legal risk may arise if a person in Hong Kong promotes or facilitates illegal betting, even if the underlying operation is overseas. He said whether a media report crosses the line would depend on evidence of conduct and intent, and on whether the article was genuine reporting or a disguised promotion. The report also linked such “regular online dealer” jobs to wider Southeast Asian criminal networks that use online gambling, fraud and labour exploitation together
Key Points
- Luk said sections 16A and 16B of the Gambling Ordinance mainly cover promotion of gambling premises and facilitating the receipt of bets
- He said the ordinance does not apply when illegal gambling, gamblers and promotion are all outside Hong Kong, but conduct in Hong Kong may still trigger liability
- According to Luk, prosecutors would need proof beyond reasonable doubt and would examine both the interviewee’s actions and intent before bringing charges
- He said investigators could look into whether the interviewee received benefits and why the publication ran the story to gather circumstantial evidence
- The report cited a July 2026 UNODC threat assessment saying online gambling platforms in Southeast Asia are major money-laundering hubs and recruitment gateways for scam compounds
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the case underlines that overseas gambling jobs marketed as easy money can carry both criminal and personal safety risks once recruitment or promotion touches Hong Kong. It also shows that media-style packaging is not automatically a legal shield if authorities believe the real purpose is to channel people toward unlicensed betting or dangerous compounds abroad