Walk into any arcade in Hong Kong and you'll see them ranked up in clusters with players sitting around the edge, slapping their cigarette-burned control panels. The game appeared in China about a decade ago, and immediately blew up due to its simple mechanics and addictive play. Cambodian authorities arrest 14 people and seize three Fish Hunter machines.įishing games go by many names- Fish Hunter, King of Treasures, Dragon Hunter, Ocean King-but they all share the same basic mechanics and objective: feed in money, kill the fish, win big.
Military Police storm an illegal casino housed in five apartments near Angkor Wat.
Hong Kong Police strike an arcade in Kowloon as part of a citywide anti-Triad operation codenamed 'Levington.' They arrest forty people and confiscate nearly $2,000 in cash-along with six games, including fishing games. Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro hails the operation as the latest blow in his ongoing crackdown on a chain of gambling arcades, and hands down 414 felony indictments on nine individuals-initiating the largest anti-gambling case in state history. Honolulu Police confiscate Ocean King and Fish Huntercabinets in the operation, games nearly identical to Dragon Hunter. Patrons enter through a locked back door speakeasy-style, with only trusted customers gaining admittance. The Honolulu Police Department raids an arcade after local residents complain that the business-already shut down by police-has secretly reopened to gamblers.
