NEWS
27 January 2021
China expands blacklist of gambling tourism destinations
By Violeta Prockyte

But the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT) in charge of the list didn’t reveal exact destinations that will be added. 

Back in August, China announced it will restrict the travel of its citizens to certain cities and destinations, but the concrete list of such destinations wasn’t revealed at the time. J.P. Morgan suggested it could include the countries in Southeast Asia, such as the Philippines or Cambodia, for offering gambling services to the Chinese citizens. 

According to the Xinhua news agency, the expansion to the list would include additional destinations that aim to attract Chinese tourists for gambling activities. The agency said: “In order to better regulate the tourism market and safeguard the lives and property of Chinese citizens, the blacklist system was established through concerted efforts of multiple departments.” 

Additionally, China’s embassy in Cambodia warned the Chinese citizens not to participate in gambling activities in Cambodia. The statement was based on multiple cases of violence against the Chinese. 

According to reports the embassy said: “Looking at the recent vicious crime cases involving Chinese citizens, many of those were led by gambling causes.” The embassy also added the Chinese authorities will take action against people involved in online gambling. “The law enforcement units of China and Cambodia are jointly enhancing efforts to combat every online gambling and telecom fraud activity involving Chinese citizens in Cambodia.