“Sands Online Gambling Corp is using our company’s property name and trademarks without our permission and in breach of the law,” said Sands China and noted that the company “does not engage in online gambling activities of any kind and vigorously pursues all reports of trademark infringement.”

“All websites purporting to offer online gaming and using our brands are fake and should be reported to the relevant authorities immediately.”

The statement was released after Guangdong police began investigating two cases of online gambling business, one of which is the Sands Macao that illegitimately exploited the brand name and is said to be active since 2020. According to the Guangdong public security department, the group recruited mainland China residents and sent them abroad to develop online gambling games and engage in customer service, thus facilitating cross-border gambling involving players from the mainland.

China recently began enacting its ban on cross-border gambling, including punishing anyone associated with the activity. The government also compiled a list of blacklisted foreign tourist destinations that are said to negatively impact Chinese citizens.