China could criminalise promotion of overseas casinos

The country is also considering an increase in penalties for installing casinos in the country.  

China.- The Chinese Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress has revealed it is considering an amendment that would criminalise the act of “luring” Chinese gamblers to overseas casinos.

It is also considering an increase in penalties for establishing casino operations within mainland China, where gambling is illegal.  

China News Service reported that the Committee will carry out a second reading of the proposed amendment to China’s criminal law this week.

The move would be in line with China’s recent clampdown on capital outflows since it identified the cross-border flow of funds for gambling as a national security risk and a potential channel for money laundering.

It has already announced it intends to issue a blacklist of gambling destinations to discourage Chinese travellers from visiting them.  

Gambling is illegal in China except for in the Macau SAR. There have been cases in the past where casino execs were jailed for trying to attract local VIP players to gamble at casinos abroad.   

Chinese authorities calculate that about RMB1 trillion (US$145.5 billion) in funds flow out of China every year through gambling.