The ‘Notice on the surrender of cross-border gambling-related criminal suspects’ is a crucial step in China’s ongoing crackdown on gambling. It is jointly issued by the Ministry, the Supreme People’s Court, and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate. This notice specifically targets individuals involved in organizing or facilitating illegal gambling activities, as outlined in Article 303 of China’s criminal laws. Customers of these operations are also included in the crackdown.
In order to encourage individuals to come forward and confess their crimes, the notice offers a reduced punishment or even no punishment at all for those who surrender by 30 April this year. Surrendering can be done either in person or through a third-party communication such as a letter, email, or phone call. The severity of the punishment will depend on the extent of cooperation provided by the individuals, including providing information about criminal activities and aiding in the shut down of illegal gambling operations. Those who fully cooperate may even be exempt from any punishment due to their “significant meritorious service”. However, those who fail to surrender by the designated date will face severe punishment from the Chinese authorities.
The notice also aims to promote reporting of gambling crimes by offering police protection from threats and retaliation. Any threats issued against individuals cooperating with authorities will be thoroughly investigated. Liao Jinrong, director general of the Ministry of Public Security’s international cooperation department, emphasizes that this notice represents the government’s continued commitment to tackling cross-border gambling crimes.
In addition, a pilot program is being run in three provinces, including Zhejiang, to restrict the travel and financial transactions of players who regularly gamble large sums overseas. So far, more than 35,000 individuals have been identified and punished through this initiative. Efforts to identify and punish online gamblers will also be intensified, using technology to track and penalize those who spend significant amounts on gambling. Education programs will be initiated for low-level customers as well.
During the upcoming Chinese New Year public holiday, which is a busy time for overseas gambling, strike teams will be deployed by the Ministry to crack down on illegal junkets. This is part of a series of government efforts to curb gambling in China, which have been strengthened in recent years. The Chinese authorities have also been pressuring other countries such as Cambodia and the Philippines to take action against illegal gambling operators.
State Councillor and Minister of Public Security Zhao Kezhi has been appointed to lead the enforcement activity and promote the Sports and Welfare Lotteries as the only legal forms of gambling in the country. Zhao plans to establish a blacklist of banned gambling sites. The Ministry of Public Security has also previously announced its intention to block transactions to offshore gambling sites and freeze associated bank accounts. These measures were prompted by an increase in illegal gambling during the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdown.
