China issued on Monday a WeChat social media posting via its Singapore embassy, warning Chinese citizens to “stay away from gambling” while in that city state. Singapore has a duopoly casino market, and other limited forms of legal wagering.
The Chinese-language message translated as: “Even if a casino establishment is set up legally outside the country’s [mainland China’s] borders, citizens may allegedly come to violate our country’s laws over [involvement in] cross-border gambling, especially [via] participation in organising gambling… that can result in [such citizens] being held legally liable for their acts.”
The embassy message made reference to China’s amended criminal code that outlaws organising mainland Chinese citizens to gamble abroad. It came into effect from March 1, 2021.
In Monday’s WeChat post, the embassy gave contact information for China’s Ministry of Security, for any member of the public wishing to submit “clues” to any acts by mainland China residents that might involve organising their fellow citizens to gamble abroad.
A number of government departments in China has issued statements in the past few years regarding a crackdown on citizens travelling overseas for casino play, or having involvement in online betting, referred to collectively as “cross-border gambling”.
On February 27, China’s embassy in Seoul, South Korea, issued a WeChat post with a similar warning for mainland residents travelling to South Korea. That country has an extensive casino industry, with only one of the venues – Kangwon Land – permitted to serve its own nationals.
The Seoul embassy said it had learnt of cases of Chinese citizens that had lost a “huge amount’ of their “fortune” in South Korean casinos.
