China's Soccer Regulators Encourage Gambling Bans
Staying consistent with government policy towards gambling, the Chinese Football Association released a statement giving its support to police efforts to prevent gambling on matches in the country. The group says gambling leads to match-fixing, and compared it to a cancer.
"Gambling and match-fixing are severe violations of Chinese laws... We should resolutely stamp them out in the sport," stated the CFA on its website.
A statement this week from the deputy minister of the State General Administration of Sport told Chinese soccer players they could be banned for life if evidence showed they had gambled or helped fix matches.
China's government has been at pains the last several years to clamp down on gambling by the country's residents. Online gambling sites have been blocked, and censors watch computer activity to catch illegal gaming.
Loopholes allowing border crossings for gambling purposes have been eliminated, and even the permitted gambling visits to Macau casinos have been restricted through the limiting of visa applications.
Police are currently conducting a large undercover operation to investigate possible match corruption and the influence of organized crime and gambling on soccer play.
