China’s embassy in Singapore warns citizens to stay away from gambling, citing “path of no return” risks

In a 14 February 2026 advisory issued ahead of Lunar New Year travel, the embassy said gambling can lead to financial ruin and even death, and stressed that overseas casino play may still expose Chinese nationals to legal liability back home.

China’s embassy in Singapore issued a fresh warning urging Chinese tourists and residents to avoid gambling, saying it has handled multiple gambling-related death cases in recent years and is currently assisting a family after a Chinese citizen died after gambling at Marina Bay Sands (referred to in Chinese as “Jinsha”).

The embassy stressed that gambling is prohibited under Chinese law and that cross-border gambling has been criminalised, adding that even where casinos operate legally overseas, Chinese citizens who gamble abroad may still be suspected of violating Chinese law, especially if they are involved in organising gambling activities. It also warned that consular protection cannot be provided for illegal acts.

Beyond legal exposure, the notice described gambling as a “path of no return,” linking it to severe personal consequences such as financial collapse, family breakdown and loss of life, and warning that cross-border gambling can pull people into related risks including fraud, money laundering, kidnapping, detention, trafficking and irregular migration.

The embassy also pointed to a Ministry of Public Security reporting channel for cross-border gambling leads and included emergency contact guidance, signalling that Beijing continues to treat overseas gambling by mainland nationals as both a legal and public-safety risk during peak travel periods.