Chinese police have solved more than 37,000 cases involving cross-border gambling this year, the Ministry of Public Security said in a statement yesterday.
Since the beginning of this year, police operations nationwide busted over 2,600 online gambling platforms, more than 1,100 casinos, and in excess of 2,500 illegal payment platforms and underground banks, according to the statement.
Over 1,200 technical support teams and 1,600 platforms promoting gambling were shut down this year, the statement noted.
The ministry added that police managed to solve 19 major cases during the country’s three-month crackdown targeting cross-border gambling.
Joint efforts from the ministry and other government departments will be intensified to create a healthy social atmosphere against gambling, according to the statement.
Earlier this year, the ministry said Beijing had investigated over 17,000 instances of illegal cross-border gambling in 2021.
Last June, the country announced the government would intensify its targeted crackdown on cross-border online gambling activities. This involved coordinated efforts with various departments including the Ministry of Public Security to police online platforms, websites and mobile applications associated with gambling, with a focus on online livestreaming platforms, short videos, and online forums and websites.
The ministry reported arresting more than 80,000 suspects in 2021 under increased measures aimed at cracking down on criminal activity.
In August 2020, China established a blacklist system for cross-border gambling tourist destinations.
China reported that some overseas cities had attracted Chinese tourists for their gambling businesses, disrupting China’s outbound travel market and endangering Chinese citizens’ lives and property.
In establishing the blacklist system, the ministry, and several relevant departments, will impose travel restrictions on Chinese citizens heading to overseas cities and scenic spots on the list.
Last year, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China announced China will add more overseas destinations to the blacklist. LV/Xinhua
