China reiterates “high-pressure” stance on cross-border gambling as courts are urged to punish organisers harshly

At a national video conference, senior official Wang Xiaohong called for sustained, coordinated operations against overseas-facing gambling networks, while the Supreme People’s Court continues to push tougher sentencing for organisers and ringleaders.

China’s leadership is renewing pressure on cross-border gambling, with State Councilor Wang Xiaohong telling authorities to maintain a “high-pressure” posture and to strengthen comprehensive, coordinated measures. Speaking at a national video conference on Jan. 22, Wang urged local units to focus on key cases, major fugitives and criminal gambling networks, and to run “persistent and precise” operations supported by better mechanisms and professional capacity.

On the judicial side, the Supreme People’s Court (SPC) has repeatedly instructed courts nationwide to impose harsh penalties in cross-border gambling cases, with a particular focus on organisers, ringleaders and repeat offenders. The SPC has tied the crackdown to financial-risk prevention and economic security, warning that overseas casinos and online groups targeting Chinese citizens can drive capital outflows and spill into crimes such as fraud, extortion and money laundering.

In disclosures used to reinforce sentencing expectations, the SPC highlighted cases involving large-scale recruitment and payment-channel facilitation. One example involved a 34-person group alleged to have attracted tens of thousands of participants and generated billions of yuan through online platforms; the ringleader was sentenced to seven years in prison and fined 800,000 yuan, with the court stressing the need for severe punishment for principal offenders. Separately, the SPC has also linked cross-border gambling to violent crime, urging tougher punishment in cases where gambling activity overlaps with serious offences.

Taken together, the latest messaging signals that China’s campaign is targeting not only front-end operators but also the organising layer behind recruitment and the financial infrastructure that moves funds across borders—raising the legal and compliance stakes for anyone facilitating these networks.