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May 22 2024

Macao Casino Brand Internet Gambling Detected

Police in the city of Huai An in Jiangsu, mainland China, have had a setback in broadcasting some of the reports live and delivering them through five websites, as a "family-run" online gambling ring that has dealt with as much as 500 million yuan ($73 million) in connection with casino-style games.

According to official Chinese media, the site used names including "Grand Lisboa" and "Venezia," which were translated into Chinese. These specific names are protected brands of SJM Holdings, the legal Macau casino operators, and Sands China, respectively.

Other than the unauthorized use of the Macau name, there was no indication in the report that the ring had any other connection to Macau. Last year and earlier this year, there were cases of illegal gambling organizations using the Chinese social media platform WeChat to bet on games that actually take place in Macau or Philippine casinos.

A total of 63 suspects have been arrested in the Jiangsu case. Fifteen have reportedly turned themselves in to mainland officials after returning to China from neighboring Laos, Cambodia or the Philippines.

The three ringleaders rented a house in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, and used it to run a gambling website, Xinhua reported, citing police sources. Other China-based crime syndicates were said to have been responsible for promoting the website, expanding the player's network and handling salary transfers.

The report also added that dozens of game types, including live-streamed versions, are available on gambling websites and that platforms can interact to increase or increase bets when players play keyboards or press handset screens.

According to Xinhua, the initial investigation began in March last year after the police received a report on the game website.