Supreme People's Court releases six typical cross-border gambling cases

China's Supreme People's Court released six typical cases on cross-border gambling and related crimes on July 22, 2024, saying they were issued to warn, educate and guide as part of stricter punishment of such offenses¹. The court said overseas casinos and online gambling groups increasingly recruit Chinese citizens, draining money abroad and spawning kidnapping, illegal border crossing, extortion, unlawful detention and fraud, along with underground bank money laundering¹.

The first case involved a cross-border gambling group led by Zhou Mouhua, a shareholder and director of a Macau gaming company who contracted casino halls in Macau and, from 2015, opened online gambling platforms in the Philippines and elsewhere¹. By November 2021 the group had developed more than 480 shareholder-level agents, including over 280 Chinese nationals, more than 6 wan ordinary agents, including over 3.8 wan Chinese nationals, and more than 6 wan mainland member gamblers¹. The platforms illegally won more than 89 yi yuan in gambling funds from mainland players¹. Zhang Mouning was sentenced to seven years in prison and an 80 wan yuan fine, combining four years and six months plus a 50 wan yuan fine for running a casino with four years and a 30 wan yuan fine for illegal business operations¹. Zhong MouXin received six years and nine months and a 300 wan yuan fine².

The second case concerned Yu Mourong and 65 others, a triad-type organization that committed more than 170 offenses between 1995 and 2018, including running casinos, picking quarrels, illegally trading guns, organizing illegal border crossings, intentional injury and unlawful detention¹. Between late 2012 and 2017 it organized hundreds of gamblers to cross illegally into Laos to gamble at a casino in the Golden Triangle Economic Zone in Bokeo province, taking rolling commissions or a share of losses, later contracting casino halls and live-streaming gambling for remote betting¹. Gambling turnover exceeded 30 yi yuan and illegal profit exceeded 5000 wan yuan¹. Yu was sentenced to life imprisonment, permanent deprivation of political rights and confiscation of all personal property on 26 combined charges; the other 65 defendants received life and other sentences¹.

Luo received five years for concealing 12 yi yuan in gambling proceeds through a front company¹. In the sixth case, 1500 wan yuan frozen in the account of Hu Mouxin's wife was confiscated as illegal gains from gambling, even though Hu died in 2014¹.

What it means for players

The cases show Chinese courts treating participation in cross-border gambling operations, not only the operators at the top, as serious crimes. Agents, recruiters, livestreamers who share betting links, and people who move or hide gambling money were all convicted. For mainland residents, organizing others to gamble abroad or acting as an agent carries prison terms and fines, and frozen accounts linked to gambling funds can be confiscated even when the account holder is a family member¹. The court said it would continue strict punishment and long-term enforcement¹. Gambling rules differ across the region, including in Macau, Cambodia and the Philippines, and China's own rules are set out in our guide to gambling in China. The prosecution approach for citizens who bet on cross-border sites is covered in our page on cross-border gambling prosecution, and the wider regional picture in gambling laws in Asia.

What happens next

The court said it will keep pushing forward with cracking down on cross-border gambling crimes, continue implementing comprehensive governance measures and keep improving long-term working mechanisms to protect social stability and economic security¹. No further dated steps were announced.