The Chinese Embassy in Thailand said Monday it had received calls for help from Chinese nationals who had been involved in cross-border gambling and had suffered losses to their personal safety and property.
The embassy also stressed that “Chinese law clearly stipulates that participation in gambling, including cross-border gambling, is suspected to be illegal and criminal, and those in serious cases will be held legally responsible.”
The legalization of casino gaming in Thailand is currently under discussion and looks likely to become a reality, however many industry experts have expressed doubts about the ability to create a regulatory framework that is attractive enough to large international IR operators.
A series of fraud cases have also been reported in a number of Southeast Asian countries, alleged to be offering “high paying jobs” to people, including those from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan that turn out to be fraudulent and involve working with illegal online gambling operators.
In many cases these job seekers are subject to threats, violence and human trafficking.
An amendment to Article 303 of China’s Penal Code came into effect on 1 March 2021 stipulating that Chinese residents cannot conduct betting activities in offshore areas or risk being sentenced to three years in prison.
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