🇨🇳For operators · Tax, marketing & compliance
China gambling laws for operators: illegal to offer
All forms of commercial gambling are illegal in mainland China. The state operates a strict monopoly through two official lotteries, which are not legally classified as gambling. Online gambling is subject to severe criminal penalties and aggressive enforcement.
OverviewOverview built from public sources. An in-depth review of China is available on request. Request it
Product by product
| Product | Status |
|---|---|
| Online betting · Online casino · Online poker | Banned |
| Lottery | Licensed |
Regulator and player protection in China
Regulator
Application authority and enforcement body
Mandatory RG controls
No limit imposed on players
Deposit limits or reality checks the law requires operators to offer
Advertising stance
Banned or near-banned
Whether you can run TV / sponsorship / paid-social campaigns
Heads-up for operators
3 items
China-ASEAN Anti-Gambling Cooperation Deepens
China's top prosecutor calls for deeper cooperation with ASEAN nations to specifically target cross-border gambling and associated money laundering.
Source: 1
The 'Strike-Hard' campaign against cross-border gambling is a continuous, high-intensity national priority. Judicial guidance from the Supreme People's Court directs lower courts to impose severe penalties on those organizing cross-border gambling.
'Strike-Hard' Campaign Continues Indefinitely
The nationwide campaign against all forms of cross-border and online gambling continues as a matter of national policy.
Source: 2
Not yet in force: drafts, laws adopted without a start date, and sections of the law still to be commenced. An item moves to the timeline below on the day it takes effect.
Licence Types in China
2 licence types are listed for China; each says who issues it and what it covers.
| Licence | Regulator | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| China Welfare Lottery Concession | China Welfare Lottery Issuance and Management Centre | Statutory | State monopoly. Funds are used for social welfare projects. |
| China Sports Lottery Concession | Sports Lottery Administration Center | Statutory | State monopoly. Funds are used to support the development of national sports. |
Licensing model
China's framework is a definitive state monopoly. All forms of gambling for profit are criminally illegal under Article 303 of the Criminal Law. The only permitted activities are the China Welfare Lottery and China Sports Lottery, which the government does not legally classify as gambling. There is no licensing framework, application process, or regulatory regime for private, commercial, or foreign operators to legally enter the mainland market.
Gambling tax and fees in China
Detail
State lottery surplus funds public welfare; no commercial operator tax.
Year-1 cost: Not Applicable
There is no compliance cost structure for commercial operators because all forms of commercial gambling are criminally illegal in mainland China. The state-run lotteries are the only legal entities and do not operate on a commercial licensing model.
| Line item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Online Casino Licence | Not Available Source3 | Criminally illegal under Article 303 of the Criminal Law. |
| Online Sports Betting Licence | Not Available Source3 | Criminally illegal under Article 303 of the Criminal Law. |
| Land-Based Casino Licence | Not Available Source3 | Criminally illegal under Article 303 of the Criminal Law. |
| Lottery Licence | State monopoly Source4 | No commercial licences are available. |
| All other licences (Poker, Bingo, B2B) | Not Available Source3 | Criminally illegal. |
Year 1 estimate
Not Applicable
The cost of attempting to comply is irrelevant, as the only outcome of targeting the Chinese market is criminal prosecution.
Which foreign licences China accepts
China recognises none of these 9 foreign licences.
BannedMalta (MGA)
Access to MGA-licensed sites is blocked. Operators targeting China face criminal prosecution and asset freezes.
United Kingdom (UKGC)
Blocked. UKGC-licensed operators do not target the Chinese market.
Gibraltar (GRA) · Isle of Man (GSC) · Alderney (AGCC) · Kahnawake (KGCB) · AnjouanBlocked
Curaçao (CGB)
Heavily blocked. Operators using this licence to target China are primary targets for enforcement actions.
Macao DICJ licence
Macao casinos may not advertise in mainland China; mainland residents can travel to Macao to gamble (separate jurisdiction).
Bonus rules: welcome bonuses banned
Bonuses bannedInducement ads: Banned
Given the complete prohibition on private gambling, there are no specific regulations for bonuses or promotions. The legal framework is entirely punitive, focusing on eradicating the market rather than regulating it. All promotional activities are considered illegal by extension.
What the player can claim
- Welcome bonus
- Banned
- VIP schemes
- Banned
- Loyalty schemes
- Banned
- Cashback
- Banned
- All verticals are prohibited.
Registering on a gambling site and claiming a bonus counts as taking part in an illegal activity.
What the operator can advertise
- Channels off-limits
- online
- social media
- mobile applications
- all other channels
- Messages ads may not give
- All phrases related to inducing private gambling are prohibited.
- Penalties
Penalties for operating or promoting illegal gambling include significant fines and imprisonment under Article 303 of the Criminal Law.
The absence of specific 'bonus advertising' fines is not a sign of a permissive environment. It shows that the entire activity is criminal, with penalties far exceeding typical advertising sanctions.
Recent advertising-violation cases
| Date | Operator | Violation | Penalty | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 2024 | N/A (Judicial Directive) | The Supreme People's Court directed courts to continue imposing harsh penalties on organizers of cross-border gambling. | Harsh penalties, including imprisonment | Supreme People's Court of the PRC |
| 1 Jan 2024 | Various | Operation of over 4,500 illegal online gambling platforms. | Platform shutdowns | SiGMA News |
How China enforces against unlicensed operators
China's enforcement against unlicensed gambling is the most aggressive and sustained in the world. It is a top-tier national security priority, treated as a criminal matter, not a regulatory infraction. Enforcement involves coordinated actions between the Ministry of Public Security, the central bank, and international law enforcement, and leads to criminal prosecutions, extraditions, and severe penalties.
- 2024: Investigated 73,000 cross-border cases, dismantled over 4,500 platforms, and arrested over 11,000 suspects.
- 2024-2025: Conducted multiple large-scale repatriation operations from Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand, bringing back thousands of Chinese nationals.
- Ongoing: The Supreme People's Court has directed lower courts to impose the 'harshest penalties' on organizers of cross-border gambling.
- Ongoing: Actively cooperates with ASEAN nations and INTERPOL to pursue and extradite suspects, even for gambling-related offenses that are not crimes in the host country.
Enforcement cases in China: 5 recent
Material regulator actions, court rulings, and high-profile fines from 2016–2026 against operators serving China. Each entry includes the technical failure and a one-line read-across for other operators in the market.
- April 2026
Unnamed Criminal Syndicate
Grey-MarketExtradition of key suspectThe suspect co-founded a criminal syndicate in Cambodia that operated a football betting platform targeting Chinese citizens, involving over 500 million yuan ($73 million).
Read-across: This shows China's increasing success in using international law enforcement cooperation to pursue and repatriate individuals involved in cross-border gambling operations, even from other sovereign nations.
- February 2025
Various Offshore Operators
Grey-Market11,000+ arrests and 4,500+ platforms dismantled in 2024A nationwide operation targeted cross-border gambling, leading to the investigation of 73,000 cases and the disruption of multiple overseas gambling syndicates' recruitment and financial channels within China.
Read-across: This large-scale, coordinated enforcement action shows sustained and overwhelming pressure on any grey-market operations targeting China, and significantly increases the risk of personnel arrest and infrastructure seizure.
- July 2024
Unnamed Criminal Group
Grey-MarketRing-leader sentenced to 7 years in prison and finedThe group recruited thousands of agents, attracting over 60,000 people to overseas gambling platforms and illegally handling over 8.9 billion yuan ($1.22 billion).
Read-across: The Supreme People's Court's directive for harsh penalties against organizers of cross-border gambling signals a judicial intent to impose severe consequences, intended to deter such operations and protect national economic security.
- November 2021
Suncity Group
Grey-MarketArrest of CEOThe CEO was accused of establishing an overseas gambling platform targeting mainland Chinese customers and being the 'mastermind' of an illegal cross-border gambling syndicate.
Read-across: The arrest of a high-profile figure like the 'Junket King' shows that even major players in the Macau junket industry are not immune to China's crackdown on cross-border gambling. It fundamentally disrupts the traditional VIP gambling model.
- April 2020
Allscore Payment Service
OtherFine RMB 66M ($9.3M)The Beijing-based payment firm was fined by the People's Bank of China for its role in facilitating payments for illegal cross-border gambling.
Read-across: This significant fine against a payment service provider shows China's focus on severing the financial lifelines of gambling operations. It makes it increasingly difficult and risky for operators to move money in and out of the country.
Market size: 125.4B USD (2025)
Aggregated legal gambling revenue in China is approximately 125.4 billion USD annually. The most popular form of gambling is Lottery. Online gambling represents 0% of total GGR. A culturally distinctive product in this market is Welfare Lottery, Sports Lottery (state-run).
Legal market composition
Single largest target market for global illicit gambling syndicates
Estimated turnover: $1700B+ annually (excluded from the GGR figure)
Mainland China prohibits all gambling outside the two state-run lotteries. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime estimates transnational criminal syndicates handle between $340B and $1.7T in illegal wagers annually worldwide: a large share fuelled by underground capital flight from China. Syndicates run live-dealer casino mega-hubs from lightly regulated Southeast Asian border zones (Cambodia, Myanmar, the Philippines) and stream games into China via encrypted messaging apps + cryptocurrency-based underground banking that bypass capital controls.
Licensed operators: ~2
As of 18 Jun 2026, approximately 2 operators hold an active licence in China. Size your entry against this base before committing capital.
Notable licensed operators
China Sports Lottery
Traps operators hit in China
Specific operational risks that have caught new entrants in this market. Each item is country-specific. Generic gambling-ops issues (KYC, RG tools) are not included unless they have a local twist.
Criminal Liability for All Participants
Under Chinese law, criminal liability is not limited to owners. It extends to anyone providing direct help to a gambling operation, including marketers, payment processors, software providers, and customer service agents. Foreign nationals can be prosecuted if their operation targets Chinese citizens.
Sources20
No Corporate Veil Protection
Chinese authorities pursue individuals, not just corporate entities. The use of offshore companies provides no meaningful protection. Enforcement focuses on arresting and prosecuting key personnel, including through international extradition requests and the issuance of INTERPOL Red Notices.
Sources20
Financial Infrastructure Attack
A primary enforcement strategy is to sever financial lifelines. Authorities aggressively identify and dismantle underground banks and illegal payment platforms, and pressure legitimate financial institutions to block all gambling-related transactions. This makes moving funds into or out of China for gambling purposes exceptionally difficult and risky.
Sources21
Timeline: rules in force
- 2024
Massive Enforcement Action Results Announced
The Ministry of Public Security reports dismantling over 4,500 illegal online gambling platforms and investigating 73,000 cases in a single year.
Source: 8
- March 2021
Criminal Law Amendment XI Increases Penalties
The law is amended to increase penalties for organizing cross-border gambling, which makes it a distinct, more serious offense.
Source: 20
- 2005
Online Gambling Defined as 'Opening a Casino'
A Supreme People's Court interpretation explicitly defines operating online gambling sites as a crime under Article 303, which confirms the illegality of all iGaming.
Source: 22
- 1987
China Welfare Lottery Established
The first state-run exception to the gambling ban is created for public welfare fundraising.
Source: 4
- 1979
Criminal Law Enacted
The first Criminal Law of the PRC is enacted, codifying the prohibition on gambling for profit.
Source: 3
Operator myths vs reality in China
Common assumptions about gambling licensing that turn out to be wrong in practice.
- MythA Curaçao or MGA licence provides a legal basis to accept Chinese players.Reality
This is dangerously false. China recognizes no foreign gambling licences. Targeting Chinese citizens is a criminal offense under Chinese law, and authorities will pursue operators, their employees, and their assets globally.
Sources22
- MythBy keeping servers and staff outside of China, we are beyond the reach of Chinese law.Reality
This is false. Chinese law has extraterritorial reach for crimes targeting its citizens. The government actively uses extradition treaties, INTERPOL Red Notices, and diplomatic pressure to arrest individuals in other countries and bring them to China for prosecution.
Sources20
- MythThe market is so large that the risk of enforcement for a single operation is low.Reality
This is false. The enforcement is continuous and 'war-scale.' In 2024 alone, over 4,500 platforms were shut down and 11,000 people arrested. The risk is not low; it is a near certainty over time.
Sources8
Markets that work like China
Compared on what our records hold for each country: whether online casino, betting, poker and lottery are licensed, state-run or banned, the licensing model, what the operator tax is levied on and its band, how most advertising channels are treated, and how foreign licences are treated. A point we hold for only one of the two countries counts for nothing.
Methodology & sources
This page is a Quick AI overview: a summary of public information, not yet checked against the law or the regulator. Treat it as a starting point. It has not yet been through our Deep AI Scan.
How we researchAsk us to run the Deep AI Scan for China
Documents cited on this page
- 1China and ASEAN prosecutors step up anti-gambling cooperation - Gambling Insider
- 2China anti-gambling crackdown a 'war scale' operation - Sigma.world
- 3Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China - CECC
- 4Gambling in China - Wikipedia
- 5Kingsley Napley
- 6Law.asia
- 7Conventus Law
- 8China shuts down 4,500 illegal online gambling platforms in 2024 - Yogonet
- 9Asia tightens grip on gambling as regulators and courts raise pressure - AGBrief
- 10Ministry of Finance: 2025 nationwide lottery sales
- 11China Welfare Lottery: annual report
- 12Sports Lottery Administration Center
- 13DICJ: Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau
- 14HKJC: Annual Report
- 15UN News: Transnational illegal gambling syndicates ($340B–$1.7T)
- 16BettorSafe: Up to $1.7T bet illegally on sports each year (UN report)
- 17Ministry of Finance PRC: State Lottery sales
- 18DICJ: Macau gaming statistics
- 19Hong Kong Jockey Club: annual report
- 20The crime of gambling in China - Kingsley Napley
- 21Online Casinos Alter Payment Mechanisms to Mitigate Financial Crime Risks - UNLV
- 22Asia online gambling regulation and enforcement - Law.asia
Looking for the player guide?
For consumer-facing information about gambling in China (tax on winnings, where to play legally, self-exclusion options), see the China player guide.
Disclaimer. This page reflects the law as we understood it on 18 Jun 2026. Rules change: always check the current position with Ministry of Finance (ultimate oversight); China Welfare Lottery Issuance and Management Centre (under Ministry of Civil Affairs); Sports Lottery Administration Center (under General Administration of Sport). Enforcement is led by the Ministry of Public Security.. We are not a legal adviser.