China demands Jeju crack down on social media casino solicitation

Chinese diplomats warn South Korean authorities after unlicensed agents use social media to recruit tourists for foreigner-only casinos.

South Korea.- China’s Consulate General in Jeju has urged South Korean authorities to strengthen oversight of the island’s casinos and to prevent unlicensed agents from using Chinese social media platforms to solicit tourists to gamble. In a statement issued through a consulate spokesperson, the diplomatic mission said it had received complaints from Chinese visitors who were approached through private messages and encouraged to gamble at Jeju’s foreigner-only casinos.

The consulate stressed that China has a zero-tolerance policy towards efforts to solicit or organise gambling trips overseas, adding that such activities constitute a crime under Chinese law. The mission urged officials to protect Jeju’s reputation as a “peace island” and a “tourism capital” and stressed the importance of the long-term development of tourism and continued exchanges between China and South Korea.

The warning follows a campaign carried out by Jeju authorities at seven of the island’s eight casinos from October 1 to 7, during China’s National Day holiday. The provincial government increased monitoring in anticipation of a possible rise in Chinese tourists, and teams reviewed compliance with casino operating rules, access controls and closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage.