For those who aren’t in the loop on the legality of gambling in China — it’s outlawed. Gambling in Mainland China has been illegal for decades at this point, and a recent announcement from the Chinese embassy in Singapore has left people puzzled. The announcement from the embassy reminded Chinese nationals to stay away from gambling activities while abroad.
Singapore is a hotspot for casinos and gambling. This is likely the reason the embassy felt the need to make the statement. However, the second part of their message took some analysts and casinos by surprise. The embassy said that gambling outside of mainland China could potentially violate Chinese laws. This is despite the fact that these casinos are legally operating outside of Chinese jurisdiction.
For Chinese nationals, Singapore and online casinos in Southeast Asia have been the best and easiest way for them to gamble. Chinese players can often be found at Malaysian online casinos like those listed on CasinoTopsOnline. These online casinos, offered a way for them to play table games, slots, and more without worry of persecution from the Chinese government. Up until recently, that wasn’t a problem, but the new warning from the Chinese embassy could force some players to reconsider their gambling habits.
The Malaysian online casino market isn’t expected to take a big hit, according to Fortress Capital Group’s CEO Datuk Thomas Yong. Yong stated, “For Malaysia, the impact would be smaller as it is believed that China’s tourists accounted for only a small percentage of visitors to the casino. The casino patrons are largely Malaysian and Singaporean…”
The same cannot be said for Singapore. Singapore is a hotspot for gamblers around the world. Its proximity to China and the sheer number of tourists from it mean that tourism as a whole might take a hit. Yong further divulged that a big chunk of casinos in Singapore receive their revenue from Chinese tourists, specifically high-rollers.
The strongly worded announcement from the Chinese embassy in Singapore might come as a shock to the gambling industry on the island. Many were expecting a return to previous levels of growth thanks to a suspected increase in Chinese visitors in 2024. However, now any amount of gambling being threatened as a crime regardless of where in the world it takes place. Therefore, Chinese nationals might think twice about going to Singapore for their world-class resorts and gambling atmosphere.
Those who have been following China’s attitude towards offshore gambling might not have been as surprised. The nation has taken steps in recent years in an effort to crack down on Chinese citizens gambling overseas. Recently, 130 Chinese nationals suspected of illegal gambling and fraud were extradited from Cambodia back to China. This shows that Chinese gamblers in Singapore aren’t safe either.
On top of that, China also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Vietnam this past year to stop cross-border gambling. While the Phillippines allows legal gambling, Vietnam has a similar stance as China. The Socialist Republic of Vietnam prohibits most forms of gambling — including online casinos. Last September, the ministers of public security in both China and Vietnam agreed to help fight gambling across their borders on top of a number of other MOUs.
Still, the Malaysian online casino market and most other Southeast nations are expected to be wholly unaffected by these policies. While they may see a slight dip in active users or bettors, Chinese citizens make up a smaller portion of these markets when compared to other nations. The only real threat is to Singapore and its acclaimed resort casinos, but analysts are hesitant to make any overreaching claims at this moment. Other tourist hot spots like the National Gallery Singapore are also likely to be affected if this announcement results in fewer tourists from China.
Those who think that Chinese nationals will continue to gamble abroad and not heed Chinese warnings might be wrong. Keep in mind that China is one of the most aggressive governments when it comes to finding and prosecuting their own citizens abroad. This suggests that these warnings are the starting gun of a crackdown to come. It could potentially put Chinese gamblers at risk everywhere in the world.
China knows that its police officers and crime units cannot crack down on every Chinese gambler. That’s why they’ve created an online platform for other Chinese citizens to give them hot tips and info on suspected gamblers. Not only do you have to worry about the government if you’re a Chinese citizen, but you also have to worry about other citizens turning you in on their own accord. It’s a tough time to be a Chinese gambler, and it doesn’t look like it will get any better as the government continues to enforce its mainland laws on Chinese nationals abroad.
Bakchormeeboy 