The ministry’s investigations led to more than 80,000 arrests, shut down over 2,200 online gambling platforms, over 1,600 illegal payment platforms and underground banks and prompted more than 1,100 domestic and foreign suspects to voluntarily surrender themselves.
Moreover, China’s cross-border gambling tip line, which operates 24/7, reportedly received more than 60,000 clues throughout 2021.
This continues China’s nationwide crackdown on cross-border gambling, led by the country’s Ministry of Public Security, working alongside the departments of foreign affairs, culture and tourism, immigration management, commerce, internet information, finance and the People’s Bank of China, among other parties.
Together, these departments “will keep tightening crackdown on cross-border gambling, especially overseas gambling groups targeting Chinese citizens”.
“Over the past year, the Ministry of Public Security partnered with the relevant ministries to put the crackdown and governance of cross-border gambling in full swing by multiple means, successfully wiping out the gambling recruitment and attraction networks, money laundering and other illegal monetary channels of many large, overseas gambling groups in China,” said the ministry in a statement.
Moreover, it claimed to have “effectively curbed” the promotion of cross-border gambling via “special governance campaigns” that shut down various online gambling websites and apps. A “blacklist mechanism” was also used to flag “key areas” targeting Chinese citizens, though it did not specify which jurisdictions were covered by this.
The ministry added: “All endeavours will be made to resolutely deter cross-border gambling and eradicate the breeding ground for cross-border gambling.”
