A Chinese gambler faces jail time after reporting fellow players for cheating during illegal mahjong game

(AsiaGameHub) –   A Chinese man who attempted to report fellow gamblers to the police for cheating during an illegal gaming session has ended up in prison.

The man, surnamed Wu, was betting on rounds of tui bing zi—a popular tile-based gambling game using mahjong tiles—at an undisclosed location in Anshan City, Liaoning Province.

Tui bing zi requires participants to try to outscore a dealer, similar to the card game blackjack.

However, during his illegal gambling session with eight other individuals, Wu grew suspicious that his fellow players were conspiring to cheat at the game and ensure he kept losing, according to reports from the Chinese media outlet GWM.

Chinese Gamblers: Cheating Row Lands All Parties in Prison

The Haicheng Public Security Bureau of Liaoning Province said a “farcical situation” unfolded when Wu called a local police station to complain that he had lost 2,300 yuan ($340) during a “rigged” tui bing zi tournament.

He requested the police to “uphold justice” on his behalf. Police officers were dispatched to the scene but discovered that the gambling session had already concluded.

Nonetheless, Wu and two others remained at the location as the dispute continued.

Officers arrested all three individuals. During police questioning, the trio reportedly provided full confessions.

Police later apprehended a man surnamed Wang, whom they accused of using “custom-made glasses” to cheat during the tournament.

The bureau sentenced Wang to 15 days in jail. However, it also detained Wu and the remaining seven individuals for 10 days for engaging in illegal gambling.

The bureau imposed fines totaling 1,000 yuan (approximately $150) on all but one of the gamblers. One man, surnamed Zhou, was fined $300 after police identified him as the organizer of the tournament.

Crime Wave Gathers Intensity

Law enforcement agencies across China are currently intensifying their efforts against a rising wave of illegal gambling. Detectives state that gamblers are now gathering in abandoned buildings and remote rural areas.

Gangs have become highly organized, utilizing encrypted chat applications to coordinate secret betting sessions and employing CCTV equipment to monitor for law enforcement.

Betting ring organizers believe this strategy will help them evade detection. Nevertheless, officers assert they are leveraging an extensive network of informants and drones to identify and arrest illegal gamblers.

All forms of gambling are prohibited in China, except for two state-run national lotteries.

The government categorizes both lotteries as authorized forms of fundraising by the state.