China’s embassy in Singapore issued a strong advisory to its citizens, urging them to refrain from any form of betting while in the city-state, citing violations of Chinese laws regarding overseas gambling.
According to reports, this warning issued on Monday coincides with Beijing’s escalated crackdown on Chinese nationals participating in gambling activities across Southeast Asia, a region known for its allure to tourists.
In a statement, the embassy emphasized the necessity for Chinese citizens in Singapore to heighten their legal consciousness and avoid involvement in gambling.
Singapore has two casinos: Marina Bay Sands and Genting Singapore’s Resorts World Sentosa.
“Cross-border gambling may also bring risks such as fraud, money laundering, kidnapping, detention, trafficking, and smuggling,” the Chinese embassy in Singapore said in its statement on Monday.
The Chinese embassies in South Korea and Sri Lanka also issued slimmer warnings recently.
China and Singapore signed an agreement in January for mutual visa exemption, and the policy takes effect on February 9th of this year.
According to statistics from the Singapore Tourism Board, 327,000 Chinese visitors arrived in Singapore last month, accounting for 30 percent of all foreign arrivals.
