China is concerned about its citizens betting in Singapore. The Chinese embassy in Singapore issued a statement in which it warned its citizens to stop placing bets in the city-state, as it doesn’t comply with the country’s laws.
A warning for Chinese in Singapore:
According to Chinese law, citizens aren’t allowed to gamble overseas. However, Southeast Asia is one of the most popular gambling markets in the world, as well as a famous tourist destination. The increasing popularity of gambling in Singapore and other rapidly developing markets in the region got Beijing worrying about the consequences for Chinese citizens, so the government increased its efforts to stop Chinese people from betting in foreign markets.
The embassy issued a statement to warn the Chinese in Singapore to stay away from all gambling activities and increase their awareness of possible consequences.
At the moment, customers can place bets in two Singapore casinos: one is Las Vegas Sands and the other is Genting Singapore.
The embassy said in a statement: “Even if overseas casinos are legally opened, cross-border gambling by Chinese citizens is suspected of violating the laws of our country.”
They added that in case of violations, the embassy possibly wouldn’t be able to help and provide the bettor’s consular protection.
The country tries to prevent cross-border, off-shore, and online gambling, and its efforts have been enhanced in the recent period since the threat became serious when it comes to illegal activities related to Chinese that live abroad.
As Routers reports, the embassy commented: “Cross-border gambling may also bring risks such as fraud, money laundering, kidnapping, detention, trafficking, and smuggling.”
Problems in Southeast Asian market:
But the government isn’t concerned only about its citizens in Singapore. Chinese embassies in South Korea and Sri Lanka also warned the Chinese in these countries recently.
In the Philippines, Chinese citizens already have experienced some issues because of similar violations. Law enforcement agencies from China and the Philippines worked together to repatriate over 40 citizens of China who were involved in various offshore gambling violations, after the incident that happened on February 22, 2024.
Back then, the Chinese embassy in the Philippines issued a statement: “The Chinese government has always opposed any form of gambling and opposes Chinese citizens leaving the country to engage in the gambling industry.”
On top of that, the Chinese government and the minister of public security started collaborating with Vietnam in order to enhance the law enforcement relationship between the two countries and signed a memorandum of understanding that will help them fight cross-border gambling.
Among the measures that the Ministry of Public Security of China conducted is establishing a reporting platform that will be a great asset in fighting against cross-border and online gambling. All Chinese citizens will be able to report clues and suspected activity in Singapore.
Currently, the only form of gambling that is allowed in China is state-sanctioned lotteries. However, according to The Straits Times, several organizations registered their online gambling platforms in foreign countries in order to offer their services in China. Gambling is legal solely in Macau, which has become a gambling heaven for Chinese tourists.