China Sweeps Illegal Gambling

Some of the online casino operations on China are not completely legal and recent Chinese authorities have begun to crack down on illegal online casinos in recent weeks. In total, Chinese authorities have arrested 597 people association with an underground internet gambling network thought to have generated over $60 million in illegal betting funds.

In a recent wave of online casino crackdowns and busts, Chinese authorities have been sweeping up nearly 600 people in connection with illegal betting operations. Online casino gambling has gained widespread popularity in Asia and China in particular. The Chinese Ministry of Security claims that the illegal gambling network, which spanned 22 provinces and major cities, was purportedly run by a Taiwanese company in cooperation with criminal syndicates operating on the Chinese mainland.

In Shanghai alone, police apprehended 87 suspects that were in some way of involved with the gambling circle. In the Jiangsu province, 106 people were held and $20 million in gambling money and suspected gambling proceeds were seized. 395 people suspected of organizing the network and 202 suspected gamblers have been detained

The recent operations in China have targeted overseas gambling, online gambling and illegal lotteries across the country. Popular, state-authorized lotteries were not affected by the ban and neither was private gambling that take place in amateur, home circles. Private betting games like mahjong have traditionally involved wagering and this forma of home gambling is regarded as a major form of entertainment in Chinese culture. Because if this, it is unthinkable that the authorities would classify this type of gambling along side illegal online casino gambling. The Chinese government does plan to clarify which activities were allowed and which were illegal.