China is taking a strong stance against illegal online gambling sites, particularly those coming from the Philippines. The Chinese embassy recently issued a formal statement on the matter and plan on having a meeting this month with officials of the Philippines in order to stop the illegal activity.
In China, there are several black and gray market operators offering online gambling services. Despite the attempt of the country to censor the internet, players still have access to online gambling. Sites from the Philippines have become of particular interest for Chinese gamblers and authorities want to put a stop to it.
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. is a company that specifically serves the market in China. The government of China is not happy with this group and are taking issue with their operations. In a recent statement by the embassy of China, they stated that the laws and regulations in China state that any form of gambling by Chinese citizens including online gambling is illegal.
The casinos, offshore gaming operators and other forms of gambling groups in the Philippines are targeting Chinese citizens as their primary customers. The embassy is accusing the illegal gambling operators of luring in citizens to play and this results in social problems as well as more crime in the country.
The issue has grown considerably and now, the leaders of both countries will meet to discuss the matter. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to meet later this month. With the discussion, it is said to be the highest level to which online gambling has been discussed within any country, much less the Philippines and China.
It will be interesting to see the outcome of this meeting and if the Philippines will take steps in order to ensure Chinese nationals are not targeted when it comes to online gambling operations.
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