The Chinese Embassy in Singapore has issued a warning to citizens to refrain from gambling overseas, as the tragic death of a Chinese national was reported following a gambling session at the Marina Bay Sands Casino recently.
Embassy Withholds Details about Gambler’s Death, Advises Against Gambling
Addressing the situation on the official WeChat account, the embassy reiterated the official government position against traveling overseas for gambling and used the latest tragedy to highlight this.
The embassy has been in touch with the family of the deceased, assisting with arrangements. Importantly, the embassy said that it had handled several death cases related to gambling, and that it had previously issued similar warnings.
Gambling usually picks up around the time of the Chinese New Year holiday, when many people travel to Singapore to visit, with many going to gamble there as well. The embassy reminded citizens that while sightseeing and traveling are encouraged, gambling is usually not.
The embassy also reminded nationals that should they participate in illegal gambling, including the organization of such activities, the Chinese government would have a limited remit to intervene legally.
Once again, the embassy reiterated the official government position that gambling can have severe personal and financial consequences, strain relationships, or even the loss of life, as the most recent case in Singapore has demonstrated.
China has repeatedly taken a zero-tolerance approach towards criminals associated with vast gambling rings, as the fate of the Ming crime family has shown in gruesome terms.
China’s Antagonism Towards Gambling Is a Matter of Public Record
Another issue related to overseas gambling has been the many Chinese nationals who think they travel to work abroad, while in reality, they are kidnapped, abducted, and otherwise held hostage and forced to work in criminal organizations that perpetrate crimes abroad.
China has embarked on a regional cooperation with national governments to help close down such operations, notably in Cambodia, where crime families have been reportedly dealt a devastating blow.
The country recently extradited a crime boss to China. Chen Zhi is a billionaire businessman accused of running a massive cryptocurrency scam and is facing sentencing in China.
