China’s embassy in Singapore has warned that engaging in gambling leads to ‘a path of no return’ in a dark message to its citizens.
The message comes in the wake of the embassy dealing with the aftermath of a Chinese national jumping to his death from the Marina Bay Sands hotel, which the embassy attributed to gambling.
“Participating in gambling leads to a path of no return, including financial ruin, family breakdown, and even death,” stated the embassy.
“Cross-border gambling may also bring risks such as fraud, money laundering, kidnapping, detention, human trafficking, and smuggling.”
Gambling is strictly prohibited in China, and Chinese citizens are also legally prevented from cross-border gambling, even if they are situated in a jurisdiction where gambling is legalised.
The embassy claims that it has dealt with “several deaths” related to gambling in Singapore and urged Chinese nationals to use a reporting platform launched by the Ministry of Public Security to provide information on Chinese citizens who are opening or operating casinos overseas.
“With the Spring Festival holiday approaching and an increase in tourists visiting Singapore, the Chinese Embassy in Singapore once again solemnly reminds Chinese tourists visiting Singapore and Chinese citizens in Singapore to strengthen their legal awareness and stay away from gambling,” the embassy added.
Macau remains the gambling capital of Asia, and subsequently, Chinese officials have undertaken an aggressive approach to deterring the emergence of any other gambling markets in the region.
Most recently, Thailand’s Prime Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, moved to reassure China’s Premier Xi Jinping that the country would not be exploring the regulation of casinos in a bid to repair the relationship between the two nations and increase Chinese tourism to Thailand.
Jinping had previously warned former Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra against the social issues that could emerge as she pursued casino regulation throughout 2025.
iGaming Expert Analysis: Whilst there is a lack of data around visitors to Singapore casinos, there are around 3 million visitors to Singapore from China each year, making it one of the most visited tourist destinations for Mainland China residents.
Last year, a decision by the government to grant visa-free travel to Chinese citizens led to a 50% spike in revenue for the Singapore casino sector, underlining the popularity of the industry among visitors from the nation.
As a result of this, Chinese players are likely to be one of the main targets for the Singapore gambling sector, meaning the latest stark warnings from the Chinese government will raise the alarm bells for Singapore casinos as they seek to maximise tourist trade.