Authorities on the South China resort island of Hainan have closed an illegal “casino” operating in a bar at the five-star Mangrove Tree Resort World hotel, the second time in less than a year the venue has been shut down for violating the country’s ban on casinos.
Jesters, a bar at the Sanya Bay resort, gained notorierty last February in a Reuters report about its “cashless casino,” which offered baccarat and blackjack games at 50 tables that paid out winnings in “points” that could only be redeemed for non-gaming amenities and services at the resort.
The operation was reputed to be one of as many as 10 such establishments operating on Hainan as part of a pilot project intended to one day evolve into a real-money casino hub to rival Macau, currently the only Chinese jurisdiction in which casino gambling is legal. But as news of the games spread, embarrassed local authorities closed it down. But not for long. In September, the games were back in action, along with several competitors at other locations.
Then state broadcaster China Central Television got wind of Jesters and aired a report saying it had encouraged other operators to open their own underground gambling dens, allegedly with local police protection. That’s when officials in Hainan acted. On January 3, five police inspectors were fired. An emergency meeting followed at which Sanya Mayor Wang Yong ordered Jesters shut—again—and this time it’s been reported that individuals connected with the casino were detained.
In all, the Sanya government has arrested 16 people this month in connection with five investigations into illegal gambling, according to state news agency Xinhua.
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