CHINESE BLITZ ON ONLINE GAMBLING LAUNCHED

2 March 2007

Online gambling runs contrary to "building a harmonious society" says government

The long promised three month blitz against Chinese online gambling (see previous InfoPowa reports) was launched by the government this weekend amid claims that it was necessary to "purify the cyber environment."

Formally launching the campaign, the Ministries of Public Security; Culture; Information Industry and the State Press and Publication Administration said: "The prevalence of online gaming has ruined the online environment and harmed young people's growth, which runs against the policy of building a harmonious society."

Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong and Zhejiang are key places to be supervised, the briefing revealed, adding the government should clamp down on online games that involve gambling and online betting.

It said local government departments should strictly supervise online game service providers who are not allowed to exchange "virtual money" with real currencies or properties, or use it to launder money.

China's police busted a total of 347 000 gambling cases involving 1.099 million people last year and retrieved 3.56 billion yuan (445 million U.S. dollars) of money, according to official statistics.

Gambling was outlawed on the Chinese mainland in 1949 when New China was founded.

Online Casino News courtesy of InfoPowa

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