Guangdong court reminds on combating cross-border gambling crimes

A press announcement from a higher court in Guangdong, mainland China, highlighted “seven classic cases” of combatting cross-border gambling violations.

In one incident, the Zhuhai Intermediate People’s Court found 12 defendants guilty of “establishment of casino” for their involvement in recruiting and organizing mainland Chinese gamblers to play at Macau’s Suncity gaming rooms from April 2018 to April 2020. The news statement did not explain why the period was picked, but it did note “implications the courts draw” from earlier verdicts.

The defendants sought revenues by “establishing accounts in casinos outside the country” via “rolling,” which refers to non-cashable or “rolling” chips commonly offered to high-stakes gamblers. The accused promised a “capital guarantee” for mainland residents’ gaming activities outside of China. The major members, a husband and wife, were sentenced to six and a half years in jail and five and a half years in prison, respectively, with fines.

The declaration noted that cross-border gambling activities had substantially harmed the state’s economic and social stability. The verdicts in this form of crime are considered as protection for the public’s interests.

Other events highlighted in the press release included online gambling and the recruiting of mainland Chinese gamblers to join in such activity, with one being someone constructing a studio in Manila to host a gaming website named “Macau Casino Lisboa.” The group had a Chinese mainland agent network of 2,736 persons and recruited 162,689 gamblers, accepting wagers totaling more than CNY160 million.

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Original story by: GGRAsia