China expands the ban on gambling

The Chinese government is expanding the ban on gambling. From then on, any form of gambling in consumer electronics is completely prohibited. However, the new advance in a berquess of games of chance is somewhat surprising because private gambling has been prohibited in China for years. The new restrictions now relate to games that have little to do with gambling. It is generally assumed that Beijing in particular wants to protect and strengthen state regulated gambling, but also wants to install a new surveillance system.

Curious new gambling law prohibits MAH-JongG

As is known, gambling in China is largely prohibited. The illustrious exception is only Macau, the Las Vegas of the Far East, which curiously is a special administrative zone of China. Is on the Chinese mainland itself Gambling, however, banned in any form, is also strictly monitored and Chinese residents are only possible over two state lotteries.

However, the current legal situation does not seem to be submitted to the government in Beijing. It is hardly different to explain that The Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism On November 6th, referring to a new law (page in Chinese), according to which further games and game elements are prohibited, which according to Beijing are to be assessed as a gambling.

The extended legal Ban of gaming especially against consumer electronics and online games, however, very classic forms of play are also enclosed, which apparently hardly or have nothing to do with gambling. For example, machines with which h toys can be obtained via a gripping arm, or the popular game MAH-JongG from next year are prohibited, even if there is no money.

Player protection or restriction of personal freedom rights?“The new ban on gambling in China is not the first of 2019. The Chinese government has changed or added several times the current legal regulation and argued, for example, with necessary improvements in minor protection. Among other things, such a blocking lesson for Online games set. Children or adolescents who want to play “conventional” games on the Internet who have nothing to do with gambling are obliged by law to end the game at a certain evening. “

Coincidence in the game just gambling?

It is due to the fact that such legal innovations are legally possible at all to ensure that the Chinese government Gambling in general completely redefined. So Beijing not only evaluates such games as a gambling in which money deployment is in the game and the outcome of the game depends on chance, but simply all games in which chance decides on victory or profit and loss or loss – regardless of any one Money deployment.

In the publication for “Management of game entertainment devices“Curiously aim at the new bans-at least the official justification-on monitoring or restriction by Chinese residents, but on strengthening the country’s gaming industry. According to the Chinese government, this should take on a central role in the task of improving the life of the Chinese population in the future.

That is why Beijing calls on all gaming providers in writing to remove any form of gambling from their game offers, but instead actively Promotion of basic socialist values to implement. Something exaggerated could be formulated that China would like to use its gaming providers in the future to implement ideological government education.

How serious China means with the new law shows a look at Article 25 of the Gambling Ordinance. In this, even administrative employees who will be responsible for monitoring the new prohibitions in gambling are threatened to punish their obligations.

“If the employees of the cultural and tourism administration abuse their powers, neglect their obligations or are responsible for grievances when checking the content of game entertainment devices, they will be held accountable by law.”

State employees in gaming companies active

But that’s not enough. In order to minimize any risk that the new gaming regulations may not be fully observed or implemented, the latest regulation commits providers of game entertainment devices that want to offer their products in China in the future to stop full -time employees in the futureSelf -review work” dedicate.

These employees have to report to the Chinese Ministry of Culture and to completely deal with the fact that all regulations of the new gambling regulation are observed and implemented. In many places, China is accused of want to infiltrate private companies. Nevertheless, it should hardly be possible for many companies to proceed legally against this regulation if they continue to be active in the Chinese market.

Already to the January 1, 2020, the amendment to the Gambling Act will come into force. The Ministry of Culture only grants authorities and companies a transition period of 60 days. In this short period of time, the drastic changes must be fully implemented. Otherwise, state administrative employees such as private sector companies are at risk of sensitive punishments. China recently announced that it does not want to give any further public explanations on this topic for the time being.