Chinese police have arrested over 50 people in raids on groups that turned abandoned buildings, private residences, and restaurants into makeshift gambling dens.
In Guiding County, Guizhou Province, police arrested 35 suspected gamblers who had gathered to wager on a high-speed, high-stakes betting game popular in illegal betting circles, reported the Chinese media outlet Tianyan News.
The group reportedly met at an abandoned building next to a train station. Detectives said the group had chosen the building because it was hard to access and had multiple points of entry.
Officers said they observed the group meeting at the same location several times as they planned their raid.
They said the gambling ring was “tightly organized and highly secretive,” with its masterminds “specifically choosing to operate at night.”
Multiple police units stormed the building on the evening of April 15, surrounding the gambling den, sealing off the entrances and exits, and breaking open a door to access the gambling site.
They said they found a group of gamblers “frantically betting” on a card-based game. None of the bettors escaped, police said. Detectives said they seized cash and gambling paraphernalia at the scene.
Officers said their investigation into the group is ongoing.
Chinese Gambling Dens: Police Hunt Illegal Betting Rings
Meanwhile, the Chibi Public Security Bureau reported that police in Chibi, Hubei Province, have shut down two suspected gambling rings.
On April 8, officers arrested over a dozen people found placing bets on Texas Hold ’em games in a restaurant near Chibi North Railway Station.
Police said the suspects all confessed to their crimes, adding that they have remanded six individuals in custody. Detectives seized over 30,000 yuan ($4,400) worth of cash at the scene.
In the early hours of April 11, Yujiaqiao Police Station officers confiscated a similar amount of money from a group of suspected gamblers who had gathered to play poker at a private residence in Hunan’s Shaziling Community.
Police said the group had met on two previous occasions to gamble earlier in the same month.
Seven people have been arrested, with one suspected ringleader set to face serious charges. All reportedly made full confessions during police questioning.
Police forces throughout the country have issued public warnings about the dangers of gambling. All forms of betting are illegal in China.
A police spokesperson said forces throughout the country will continue to intensify gambling crackdowns.
Earlier this month, police in Hangzhou used a drone to identify and arrest a group of suspected gamblers found placing bets in a public cemetery.
