Police in Shapingba district, Chongqing, have dismantled a large cross-border gambling operation that used live streaming to link gamblers in China to casinos abroad, the state news agency Xinhua reported on July 24, 20231. The force broke up 13 cross-border gambling gangs, arrested nearly 300 suspects, destroyed 20 offline gambling dens and shut down 7 cross-border gambling platforms, with more than CNY 400 million in funds traced through the case1.
The investigation began with a public report that someone was using online live streams to connect with overseas casinos while running offline venues to recruit people to gamble, according to Xinhua1. Police verified the report, assembled a specialist team and opened a case1.
Investigators found that gangs led by a man surnamed Hu, 30, and a man surnamed Xia, 29, were secretly working with casinos outside China while recruiting agents across the country, organizing betting through live streams1. The organizers used deceptive pitches to draw in gamblers, Xinhua reported:
"以“低下注，高回报，几十块钱就能玩一把”等诱骗式话术，大肆招揽赌客"
The report said players often joined believing a few dozen yuan was harmless, then became trapped in the betting, and that organizers encouraged those who had lost their money to borrow or take loans to keep gambling until they were stripped of everything1. Police said the case spanned a wide area, involved large sums and many participants, and seriously disrupted social order and endangered property1.
After mapping the organization and its criminal chain, Shapingba police traveled through more than 10 provinces and cities nationwide and carried out three coordinated arrest operations1.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Gangs broken up | 13 |
| Suspects arrested | Nearly 300 |
| Offline gambling dens destroyed | 20 |
| Cross-border gambling platforms shut down | 7 |
| Funds traced | More than CNY 400 million |
What it means for players
China treats gambling as illegal, and this case shows enforcement reaching the people who place bets, not only the organizers. The report describes players recruited through live streams who lost their money and were then pushed to borrow more1. Anyone who gambles through a cross-border site or a live-streamed table linked to an overseas casino is inside the activity Chinese police are targeting. The case also shows how recruitment works: low-stakes pitches, a live stream, and an offline venue or agent who keeps the player betting. Details of charges, sentences or named defendants have not been reported1.
What happens next
The report gives no court dates, charging decisions or further operational plans. It says only that three coordinated arrest operations were carried out across more than 10 provinces and cities1.
Sources1 sources
- 重庆警方侦破一特大网络直播跨境赌博案-新华网, news.cn
