Chinese Embassy reminds citizens to stay away from gambling after man jumped from MBS hotel room

SINGAPORE: In the wake of a man recently jumping to his death from a Marina Bay Sands hotel room, the Chinese Embassy in Singapore issued a “solemn reminder” on Saturday (February 14) evening, telling its citizens in the city-state to desist from gambling.

The reminder, issued through the embassy’s website and official WeChat channel, said that the man’s family is being assisted with funeral arrangements.

The embassy added that it has handled “several” deaths related to gambling and has issued warnings to its citizens in the past, although it did not provide the specific number of deaths and other details.

However, “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 statement added.

Under Chinese law, gambling is strictly prohibited, and the country’s law has been amended to include cross-border gambling. This means that Chinese citizens who gamble in casinos overseas, even in those that are operating legally, are suspected of breaking Chinese law.

This is all the more so for those involved in organising gambling activities, who will be held legally accountable, and protection cannot be provided by embassies and consulates in these cases.

The embassy also warned of the often grave personal consequences of gambling, which include financial loss and ruin, family problems, and even death. Additionally, people who get involved in cross-border gambling may face risks including fraud, money laundering, kidnapping, detention, human trafficking, and smuggling.

The embassy also announced that a comprehensive reporting platform for combating and governing cross-border gambling has been launched by the Chinese Ministry of Public Security.

Information concerning Chinese citizens who open or operate casinos in other countries, or if they organise or recruit Chinese citizens to gamble overseas or participate in cross-border online gambling, may be reported via email ([email protected] ), fax (0086-10-66261404), or the WeChat official account “Reject Cross-border Gambling.”

In March 2024, the Chinese embassy issued similar statements warning citizens to steer clear of gambling in Singapore. The same type of statement was also issued by China’s embassies in Sri Lanka and South Korea. At the time, however, Chinese law had not yet been amended to criminalise gambling in other countries. /TISG

Read also: Police arrest 9 men, 3 women at Bukit Timah GCB gambling den