Gambling happens all over the world in all sorts of forms. But this does not mean that the activity is legal everywhere or always appreciated. China has a particular interesting set of legislation regarding (online) gambling. With a population of 1.4 Billion people (yes with a B) China some forms of gambling are to be expected. How gambling in China works is not so clear cut as it is in many regulated jurisdictions.
So how does gambling in China work? Are there legal forms of (online) gambling or is everything prohibited? And are there exceptions as the country has such a large surface area? Lets find out in this article from QMRA!
Illegal gambling in China: What are the legal options?
To be clear mostly all forms of gambling are illegal in China since 1949, when the CCP took control of the government. On mainland China it is forbidden to organize any form of gambling relating to landbased or online gambling. However, as always, people will find a way to fullfill their vices. This has been the case for the illegal gambling market in China. Illegal gambling in China has flourished, making over 151 Billion Dollars (again with a B) in illegal transactions in 2023.
China has tried to stop this, even shutting down 4500 illegal online operators in the country, detaining more than 11.000 suspects. The Chinese government will even go so far as to warn their citizens to not gamble abroad in other countries, as it may breach Chinese laws. When returing to China these tourists could face legal action. Trying to assert the dominance of the Chinese law on the Chinese citizen even when in other countries, where different laws apply and gambling might be legal.
The legal gambling options of China
There is basically only one place in China where casino gambling is legal, and this is Macau. This is a so-called ‘special administrative region‘ which has its own unique position within China. Therefor legislation is different in Macau than the rest of China, making legal gambling possible. Does this mean that every form of gambling is legal? No, of course not. As always there are rules. First of all to be able to exploitate a gambling operation a permit is needed. The Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau gives out the licenses to exploitants that meet their strict requirements. Legal forms of gambling in Macau are:
- Slotmachines
- Table games
- and, Sportsbetting
Basically any form of gambling someone would find in other regulated markets, can be found in Macau. Lotteries have not yet been mentioned, the reason for this is that lotteries are legal in the whole of China, as the only form to be so. As lotteries are a state monopoly, as they are in multiple countries, they are legal in China in other areas than Macau.
Online gambling however is a whole other story. As mentioned this form of gambling is illegal in China. This is no different in Macau.
Hong Kong also has some special excemptions regarding gambling, however these are much more watered down than you will find in Macau. In Hong Kong only a few options for gambling are legal, which apart from football betting, boil down to just lotteries. You will not find a single legal casino operating in Hong Kong.
Looking for legal options?
In china your options for legal gambling might be less than setisfactory, this is not the case over the world. Many countries have legal options for landbased and online gambling. These operators are strictly audited and have to adhere the strict regulations. This means that operators have to adhere to laws and regulations regarding:
- Player safety
- Addiction prevention
- Anti-money laundering
- Gaming environment testing
and more to ensure the safety of players and their funds. Looking for these operators can be quite difficalt, as the illegal offer is trying to get their footing in every market. Flooding them with illegal advertisements and hard to resist bonuses. If you want to be sure to play at the legal offer which has your safety at heart, find them through an affiliated associated with the QMRA! These affiliates undergo compliance checks based on the laws and legislation from partical markets, where online gambling is legal. The compliance checks are done by professional legal compliance auditors. So be sure to play safe and find the best online casino with our partners for your country, through QMRA.eu!
