Chinese drivers who ferry gamblers to illicit gambling dens could end up behind bars, public prosecutors have warned.
The comments come from the Gaolan County People’s Procuratorate, as reported by the Chinese newspaper Gansu Daily. The procuratorate issued a public warning, stating that transporting gamblers and delivering gambling paraphernalia both constitute criminal offenses.
The service said many people have misconceptions about the law, believing that only people who place wagers can be prosecuted under Chinese regulations.
But the prosecution stated that courts have already handed out jail sentences and heavy fines to several gambling “accomplices.”
And it is not only drivers who cater to gamblers who face prosecution, a prosecution spokesperson said. Couriers and people hired to act as lookouts for gambling rings may also face punishment.
The warning comes as law enforcement officers step up a campaign against a growing number of illegal gambling rings.
Groups of Chinese bettors, keen to avoid police crackdowns, have begun meeting in remote rural locations and abandoned buildings.
Many use a network of lookouts to help raise the alarm when they spot police officers.
Chinese Gambling Dens: Lookout Also Jailed
The spokesperson gave a recent example of a case involving a gambling ring that congregated in “empty houses and remote mountain forest areas.”
A Gaolan County court heard this year that, in September 2024, the ring contacted three individuals identified by the court as Zhang, Li Jia, and Li Yi.
Prosecutors told the court that the ring hired Zhang and Li Jia to drive gamblers to and from illegal dens in their private vehicles.
The duo also paid the duo to transport a range of gambling equipment to the dens.
The ring paid Li Yi to stand at the entrance of the dens. Its mastermind, surnamed Wei, told Li Yi to call for help if they saw police or any “unfamiliar individuals” approach.
The three men proved very capable, and Wei commissioned them to work with him regularly.
In total, the trio earned “several thousand yuan” for their work, prosecutors said. One thousand yuan is roughly equal to $150.
‘A Direct Causal Relationship’
After police shut the ring down, the court determined that Zhang, Li Jia, and Li Yi “performed actions that were crucial to the gambling ring’s long-term existence and its ability to evade law enforcement agencies.”
Prosecutors explained the trio’s behavior “had a direct causal relationship” with the gambling crimes the ring committed.
The court agreed the men had “knowingly provided direct assistance” to people who had committed gambling crimes.
It found all three guilty of gambling offenses and sentenced them all to six months in jail, but suspended the sentences for a year.
A judge also ordered them each to pay fines worth around $450.
No Grey Areas
“There is no such thing as a grey area when it comes to gambling crimes,” the prosecution spokesperson said. “Providing assistance to gamblers is also a criminal offense. Do not be tempted by high rewards or think that you can get away with providing assistance to gambling rings.”
Under the terms of Chinese law, courts can jail small-scale gambling ring operators for up to three years.
Illegal casino operators face heavier punishments still. Courts can jail illegal casino chiefs for no less than five years, with maximum sentences of 10 years also possible.
Earlier this month, a farcical scene ensued when a man in Anshan, Liaoning Province, called the police to complain that his fellow illegal gamblers had cheated during a clandestine betting session.
“Please uphold justice for me,” he pleaded during the call.
His actions led a court to jail the entire cohort.
