Watching the World Cup is a celebration, illegal gambling brings sorrow
[2] Compiled from: Ninghai Court
Case review
[3] The quadrennial football feast has arrived! During each World Cup, countless groups recommending betting, discussing matches, and odds emerge on WeChat and QQ. Rankings on the Apple App Store and Android markets are also dominated by numerous football lottery apps. Criminals lure netizens into trying betting in WeChat and QQ groups, even inviting them to act as agents. "Take a gamble, a bicycle turns into a motorcycle," many fans and casual viewers are eager to try. However, after the matches end, some end up with villas by the sea, while others silently climb to the rooftop.
[4] Criminals also set up traps, committing fraud by opening gambling betting websites. Such gambling sites often design their pages to resemble the official World Cup website and claim to be designated betting sites for the World Cup to allay bettors' concerns. These sites use high odds to attract users, letting victims win small amounts first, then disappearing when victims invest large sums.
"Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China"
Article 303
[5] Those who gather people for gambling for profit or engage in gambling as a profession shall be sentenced to up to three years in prison, criminal detention, or surveillance, and fined. Those who operate gambling establishments shall be sentenced to up to five years in prison, criminal detention, or surveillance, and fined; for severe cases, the sentence is five to ten years in prison, and fined. Organizing Chinese citizens to gamble abroad, with large amounts or other severe circumstances, shall be punished according to the preceding paragraph.
Public Security Administration Punishments Law of the People's Republic of China
Article 70
Whoever, for the purpose of profit, provides conditions for gambling or participates in gambling with a relatively large amount of money shall be detained for not more than five days or fined not more than 500 yuan; if the circumstances are serious, he shall be detained for not less than 10 days but not more than 15 days, and shall also be fined not less than 500 yuan but not more than 3,000 yuan.
[1] The author's perspective
[6] The arrival of the World Cup is a celebration for many football fans, but the accompanying legal issues are also noteworthy, with the most common being betting. Numerous online betting sites become unusually active during this time, some even sending text messages to lure people into clicking links to place bets. When receiving such messages, never open them casually; on one hand, these sites are certainly non-compliant and illegal, and on the other hand, they may contain viruses, causing additional property loss or information leakage. Offline, many people privately organize betting games, often with friends and family dragging each other into placing bets. However, once someone wins a large prize, it's not uncommon for the "bookmaker" to delay payment or even abscond. Therefore, while watching the matches, if fans want to bet, they must choose legitimate channels, such as China's football lottery, which is both legal and ensures their interests are protected.
