China Shuts Down Online Gambling Site

In China there is a strong effort on the part of the government to act responsibly toward its people by keeping unprincipled criminals off the streets. In the twenty first century there is a big dilemma as it attempts to keep its citizens safe from the internet criminals. Many citizens are quite vulnerable being easily convinced by fake emails with promises of riches.

When it comes to enforcing the online gambling laws Chinese officials have recently been getting down to business in the massive country. Six major online gambling operations have been reported to have been broken up by a Chinese Chief of Police from Xianning City who announced that his officers have just put a stop to the site through raids. The belief is that the raids have placed a real dent on the illegal betting ring. With almost a hundred million dollars confiscated, arrests are expected to reach the number of 27 arrests. The head of Public Security Bureau in Xianning City said that the raids came after a year-long investigation. Before closing down the site they examined the gambling habits of tens of thousands of residents using online casinos.

Chief of Police Gong Dao'an says that since 2004, the gangs operating the Internet gaming sites had already made in access of $7 billion. A police administrator who was interviewed said that most of the gambling funds have been funneled to overseas gambling groups through underground money laundering channels. The money seized during the raids reflected what was left in domestic bank accounts. Most of the money however, had already left the country. These are the assumptions of Police Chief Gong Dao'an. According to Dao’an the several gambling operations included card games, sports betting, and horse racing. He also reported that the gangs running the sites were known to allow credit to players, but at very high rates. Dao’an has asked foreign authorities to search for the money offshore. He also says that seven of the gambling operation’s leaders were also being sought by Interpol. If they are apprehended these operators will face prison terms of only three to ten years. Some may see this as not enough to deter potential violators from trying again to set up gambling sites.

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