A 67-year-old woman surnamed Sham was arrested on suspicion of operating the illegal venue.

All nine arrested are being held for further investigation.

Police seized two electronic mahjong tables, four mahjong sets, furniture and HK$1,200 (US$154) in cash.

Gambling establishments must have a license to operate in the city. Operating such an establishment without a license is punishable by a fine of HK$5 million and up to seven years in prison.

Offenders found guilty of gambling in an unlicensed gambling establishment face a fine of HK$10,000 and a prison sentence of three months on the first conviction, with the fine and prison sentence increasing on subsequent convictions.

Between January and May this year, police arrested 1,900 people for illegal gambling and confiscated betting slips and cash worth HK$4.6 million.

The annual number of suspects arrested for these crimes was between 5,700 and 6,700 in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

In July, police dismantled a crime syndicate after arresting 46 people and closing seven gambling dens. The alleged ringleader and his wife were also accused of laundering about HK$10 million in illegal gambling proceeds.

A month earlier, police arrested nearly 60 people in a crackdown on overseas gambling websites that had seen HK$460 million in illegal bets on football matches, horse racing and card games since the beginning of the year.