Shanghai Worried About Online Gambling
Published: Friday, March 18, 2005 Online-Casinos.com
SHANGHAI PROSECUTORS WORRIED ABOUT INCREASE IN ONLINE GAMBLING
Thirty
five percent increase in convictions
The Shanghai Daily news has reported
that about 35 percent of gambling convictions issued in the city this year have
concerned Internet betting, the Shanghai People's Prosecutors' Office revealed
this week.
"Compared to traditional gambling, online gambling costs
less and is more difficult to detect," said Zhu Bochen, a spokesman for the
office. "The trend has developed quickly in recent years."
Most
online cases involve soccer gambling. Because of its convenience and high profit,
it has attracted many gamblers, prosecutors said. So far this year, city prosecutors
have charged 56 people in 17 gambling cases. These include traditional gambling
games such as cards.
Giving examples, the official said that last year,
a resident surnamed Hu was charged with organising online soccer betting by the
Yangpu District Prosecutors' Office. In 2004, the man applied to set up the local
agency for a Taiwan-based gambling firm which operated the Baoying Website. After
Hu got the user name and code, he hired unemployed residents to recruit gamblers.
"They were handling 5,150 bets which added up to 4.74 million yuan (US$573,000)
in several months," Zhu said. The gang earned 140,000 yuan in profit.
"Such (Internet) gambling is not restricted by time and space,"
said Zhu. "Gamblers can contact the agency through the Internet or by telephone
at any time."
Prosecutors pointed out an agency can earn much more
online than that of traditional gambling. The attraction has lured many to take
the risk.
On February 24, 2004, the Shanghai No. 1 Intermediate People's Court
sentenced an online gambling gang to prison. The leader, Feng Zaisheng, a Taiwan
native, was sentenced 2 1/2 years in jail. He was the first to be convicted of
online gambling charges in the city.
Prosecutors also said gambling gangs
were becoming better organised. Individual members usually had their own tasks,
such as receiving money, keeping records or contacting gamblers.
