Chinese police are stepping up crackdowns on video game arcade halls that double as illegal gambling dens, arresting 18 people in Hunan Province in their latest raid.
Officers from the Yanquan Police Station and the Chenzhou Public Security Bureau said they responded to a tip-off from a member of the public, the Chinese media outlet Rednet reported.
A resident of Chenzhou’s Beihu District complained of noise and other “social disturbance” at the arcade. Police dispatched to the scene arrested four arcade operators and 14 customers.
Investigators said they found patrons playing fishing machine games.
Arcade Game Gambling Centers: Police Hunt Illegal Operators
In China, fishing machines are large, multiplayer console machines found in video game arcades throughout Mainland China and Hong Kong.
In these games, players use water cannons to shoot at fish and other sea creatures that swim across the screen at varying speeds.
Players accrue points for each fish they hit, and get bonus points for hitting “rare” fish. In recent years, some arcade operators have begun offering select groups of patrons illegal behind-closed-doors sessions.
During these sessions, several patrons pay a cash stake, with the arcade operators paying out winnings to high-scoring players.
Most machines are made in China and seat between four and eight players.
The popularity of these arcade games has spread to many Southeast Asian nations. Several Chinese firms have recently released English-language versions of the most popular machines.
Police said the Chenzhou arcade operators also offered patrons betting options on similar soccer-themed games.
Officers said they seized gambling-related equipment and arcade game consoles at the scene, as well as an undisclosed amount of cash.
Police Set to Expand Arcade Investigation
A police spokesperson for the Public Security Bureau confirmed that all 18 suspects have been handed undisclosed “administrative penalties” pending further investigation.
The spokesperson warned the public that all forms of gambling are illegal in China, and added that statistics show “nine out of 10 gamblers lose” their stakes.
The raid comes just weeks after a similar operation in Kowloon, Hong Kong. This raid also saw police confiscate gaming consoles and cash. Officers arrested eight people, including seven suspected patrons.
The crackdown on video game arcades is part of a wider Chinese police anti-gambling operation.
In recent weeks, officers across the country have raided abandoned buildings and remote public spaces where gangs of gamblers allegedly congregate to play “high-speed, high-stakes” betting games.
