China has vowed to crack down on World Cup betting this year. Considering that China’s communist government is one of the most controlling and oppressive in the world, when they say they’re going to crack down on something, they mean business. For that reason, I cannot advocate that anyone in China bet on the World Cup or engage in any gambling activity. Anyone who does is risking imprisonment.

All forms of gambling have been banned in the Chinese mainland since the communist government took power in 1949. Despite that, the underground gambling industry has thrived in the Middle Kingdom. It is estimated that in 2006 – the year of the last World Cup – approximately ¥500 billion (equivalent to $73 billion) were wagered in online gambling transactions.

Things changed this year, though, when Nan Yong, the head of the Chinese Football Association was arrested for corruption. Also this year, three Chinese World Cup referees – including Lu Jun were arrested for allegedly accepting bribes and fixing matches. The Chinese government has called sports betting a “cancer” and has vowed to eliminate it from the sport of football.

Sports betting may be the top priority, but the Chinese are going after all forms of gambling. Their police have arrested 344 suspects for gambling charges so far this year and have frozen approximately ¥50 million in gambling funds.

China’s national team did not qualify for the World Cup this year, but that doesn’t alleviate concerns among the government that sports betting will be rampant for the next month.

If you live somewhere other than China, though, there are a lot of good places for online casino gambling and sports betting. Check with your local laws to make sure you aren’t doing anything illegal and if it’s okay, find a good online casino or sports book and enjoy the summer and the World Cup!

Tags: China casino, China gambling, gambling laws, online betting, Online Casino, online gambling, World Cup betting