Chinese online casinos for Real Money

Ignoring Macau and Hong Kong, the Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China (Article 303) says that gambling (as a profession) or running gambling games is punishable by “fixed-term imprisonment of not more than three years.” At least, that’s the maximum penalty that can be imposed. It is also worth noting that fines are frequently applied to those who break the law instead.

While the gambling law specifically mentions professional gamblers, China’s anti-gambling stance also covers casual online gambling. Despite this, there are several areas where the laws are more relaxed and, indeed, in some cases, gambling is permitted.

For instance, lotteries (state-run only, we’re afraid) are legal. Scratch cards, sports betting, keno, and video lottery games are also technically legal. Surprisingly, China’s most popular casual game (Mah-jong) isn’t a legal gambling option.

Where does this leave casino gambling, then? Straight out of the window if we’re honest. Gambling in casinos (unless you are based in Macau) or online casinos is not something that China tolerates. Despite this, there are ways to gamble if you feel like a rebel.

Many offshore casinos cater to players in China. These are targeted by Chinese ISP (internet service provider) bans. To shield themselves from punishments, many Chinese players choose to utilise VPNs (virtual private networks) and cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin. Naturally, with such a huge population, this illegal market is a massive business for offshore operators.

Any legal gambling games in China are run by the state (for the most part), or the operators behind them have state approval. When it comes to offshore casino sites, many people erroneously assume that just because a casino isn’t licensed in China, it is unsafe. This is far from the truth. The reality of the situation is that offshore casinos catering to the Chinese can be dodgy, or they can be fully trustworthy. That depends on where you play.

When you choose to play at our trusted offshore casinos, you can rest assured that you’re playing at verified, trusted offshore casinos that are skilled at offering fair games to players in China. The Chinese yuan is accepted as a currency, and gameplay may also be available in Chinese. Of course, it helps if your offshore casino is licensed and regulated out of a reputable jurisdiction. Moreover, you’re going to want to see VPN acceptance and cryptocurrencies accepted at these casinos. The risk of being caught in China is just too great to play without those protections.

China is just one of a handful of countries where online slots don’t form the most popular games. Sports betting (being legal for the most part) is naturally the most popular way to bet, alongside lottery-based games like keno. However, what’s the situation when it comes to online casino games?

Baccarat is arguably the most popular traditional casino table game you can bet on. Chinese players can find it in live dealer and RNG (random number generator) variants. At the same time, you also have Pai Gow Poker and Sic Bo. The latter is one of the most successful dice-based games you’ll find. Fan Tan has become something of a hit with Chinese players, particularly those who want to wager on live dealer versions of this release.

We would argue that when it comes to Chinese online gambling at casinos, table games tend to be far more popular than most of the alternatives. Therefore, any online casino that wants to curry favour with Chinese players is prepared to take a risk when gambling naturally offers an abundance of those games.

Chinese casinos only exist outside the People’s Republic of China. Therefore, it is relatively straightforward to assume that anybody (not just Chinese) can play at these betting sites. Most of the major sportsbooks and casinos open to Chinese players are also accepting players from other parts of Asia. These domains will still accept the Chinese yuan and offer gameplay in Chinese, even if they do cater to other players.

However, you should pay attention. There are plenty of “joker sites” out there. That means to say that there are casinos that aren’t to be trusted and that are solely seeking to take Chinese players to the cleaners. You can avoid that eventuality by ensuring that you sign up and play at our trusted Chinese casino sites.