On July 22, 2024, the Supreme People’s Court of China published its judgments on six cases of cross-border gambling, including two cases related to Macau with important implications for how the central authorities have been handling cross-border gambling activities, notably the illegal solicitation of mainland clients in gambling, and the laundering of illegal proceeds.
Two of the six cases above involved Macau. The first case demonstrated the activities of the Macau-based gambling syndicate, such as the recruitment of mainland agents and customers, the organisation of mainland clients to gamble in Macau in person or through the internet, the establishment of mainland asset company, and the setting up of mainland-based underground banks, according to the Supreme People’s Court information.
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The sixth case that involved Macau showed a reverse activity of some mainlanders organising a triad-nature organisation in Macau’s casino and laundering illegal proceeds through mainland bank accounts.
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The other four cases showed a pattern of setting up overseas casinos or collaborating with overseas internet gambling organisations, which were located in countries like Laos, Cambodia and the Philippines.
The cross-border nature of gambling crimes was similar to the Macau cases, including the solicitation of agents and gamblers, the accumulation of illegal gambling capital and proceeds, and the pursuit of customers who ran into debts.
The Supreme People’s Court emphasised that the six cases were important because they involved illegal gambling, illegal smuggling and illegal extortion. The economic crimes involved were the management, hiding and transfer of illegal gambling proceeds. The court’s published statements emphasised a directive signed by President Xi Jinping in the necessity of cracking down on cross-border gambling offences.
In conclusion, the six cases and their related court verdicts demonstrate how China has been handling cross-border gambling crimes with determination and seriousness.
Article 303 of China’s Criminal Law says: “Whoever, for the purpose of profit, gathers people to engage in gambling, runs a gambling house or makes gambling his profession shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than three years, criminal detention or public surveillance and shall be fined.” As such, cross-border gambling activities from Macau to the mainland, and between overseas countries and the mainland, were and are disallowed judging from the court verdicts on the six cases.
