In case you missed the memo, China has sent a reminder of just how serious they are in cracking down on gambling activity inside its borders with the arrest of 14 South Koreans said to be employees of two major Korean casino operators. The accused will face charges of trying to lure Chinese citizens to casinos as well as violating foreign currency laws.
Officials stated only a few months ago that they were planning to crack down on foreign casino operators who set up offices in Mainland China to target Chinese gamblers.
But the fact they have again followed through on their promise shows that the Chinese Central Government is determined to enforce its strict anti-gambling laws.
In April this year, the Asia Pacific Poker Tour had their APPT China event in Nanjing sensationally shut down with two of the organizers later arrested and the possibility of more to follow. They face charges on a range of “casino crimes”.
This came just a few weeks after the Chinese Central Government announced the arrest of over 1,000 people involved with an online gambling ring.
And of course there is the much broader anti-corruption crackdown that has seen Macau’s gaming revenues nosedive over the past 12 months, with visa restrictions tightened and the loopholes such as the use of debit cards more closely monitored.
So if it wasn’t before, China’s message on gambling is now loud and clear. It means business.
