Chinese courts to continue to apply tight penalties for cross-border gambling

The Supreme People’s Court said the problem of offshore gaming was getting worse.

China.- The Supreme People’s Court has instructed courts in China to continue applying strict penalties for cross-border gambling, particularly organisers and repeat offenders. It said foreign casinos and online gambling operations were increasingly targeting Chinese citizens, resulting in outflows of domestic funds and leading to other crimes, including abduction, illegal confinement, fraud, extortion, and money laundering.

In 2020, China established a blacklist of destinations to which cross-border transfers are restricted. The list is compiled by multiple departments, including the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security. In March 2021, China’s revised Criminal Law made it illegal to assist cross-border gambling. China signed cooperation agreements with various countries in the region in 2022 and 2023 to combat online and cross-border gambling.

See also: China: 32,000 arrested over cross-border gambling in 2023