China to crack down on casinos for kids

BEIJING - Operating gambling houses, especially those open to children, will be seriously punished, said a judicial document published on Tuesday.

Running sites with 10 or more gambling tools, or those that have only two instruments but are open to juveniles, will be regarded as the crime of operating gambling house stipulated in China's Criminal Law, according to the document jointly issued by the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, and the Ministry of Public Security.

It also outlawed setting two gambling machines in the vicinity of a primary or secondary school.

A crackdown on gambling houses will focus on their investors and operators, the document said.

Those who provide instruments, accommodation, financial or technical support to such sites, as well as the paid executives of these venues, will also be punished as accomplices.

Operating casinos is illegal in China. However, the document explained that running games console competitions with small prizes is allowed.