Net gambling crackdown a boost for lotteries
- Source: Global Times
- [01:24 February 10 2010]
- Comments
By Jiang Wanjuan
The Ministry of Public Security (MPS) is planning a major crackdown on online gambling.
The campaign, to run from February to August, will be jointly carried out by eight Party and governmental departments, and will "focus on major and severe cases, targeting domestic and foreign groups that collude to organize international online gambling and severely punish the criminals."
The eight Party and government departments include the MPS, the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the China Banking Regulatory Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Central Committee for Comprehensive Management of Public Security.
Online gambling is a new type of crime thriving with the development of the Internet. It has caused large amounts of money to flow out of China, disturbing the nation's social and economic order.
Despite police efforts, online gambling has grown due to the huge profits at stake.
A statement on MPS's website said it would also punish underground banks and third-party payment platforms that support online gambling.
Gambling websites or any sites providing information to aid gambling will also face penalties.
But the statement did not give specific details.
Gambling is forbidden on the mainland and those charged with gambling crimes face up to three-years in jail, according to the criminal law.
Some people believe the crackdown on online gambling will help to boost the welfare lottery and sports lottery, run by the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the General Administration of Sport respectively.
Tang Nianbing, a manager at the Shandong welfare lottery center, agreed.
"The money flow in illegal gambling goes to criminals and underground casinos, instead of into a public welfare fund," Tang told the Global Times.
"If online gambling is prevented, people may seek a compromise and turn to the lottery, as gambling is in the nature of human beings."
