China is launching a crackdown on foreign casinos, luring its citizens to gamble abroad, a move that broadens the country's campaign against corruption.

Authorities will be targeting casino operators, particularly from China's neighboring countries, that rely on Chinese gamblers for most of their revenue.

Like Us on Facebook

Chinese citizens are among the world's high stakes gamblers. They often travel to the Chinese territory of Macau, South Korea, the Philippines or Australia to gamble, as betting is illegal in mainland China.  Casino operators found a way to attract them, by promoting the resorts where the casinos are located.

"A fair number of neighboring countries have casinos, and they have set up offices in China to attract and drum up interest from Chinese citizens to go abroad and gamble. This will also be an area that we will crack down on," said Hua Jingfeng, deputy bureau chief at the Ministry of Public Security.

Hua said illegal gambling remained widespread, despite government's tight grip on the betting industry.

"Some foreign countries see our nation as an enormous market, and we have investigated a series of cases," Hua said.

Paradise Co, Las Vegas Sands, Wynn Resorts, MGM Resorts, Galaxy Entertainment, SJM Holdings and Melco Crown are some of the casino operators that have been wooing Chinese gamblers.

Chinese President Xi Jinping's two-year anti-corruption campaign have kept most of the wealthy Chinese gamblers away from Macau, the world's biggest gambling hub.

Macau's gaming revenue fell for the first time last year, since 2001. 

Foreign casinos have expressed worries over their companies' uncertain future.

Steve Wynn, CEO of Wynn Resorts, whose company had suffered a weak fourth-quarter earnings said, they've spent the last 12 years "behaving" and conforming with China's policies. "China remains a big question mark. We have more questions than answers, thousands of our Macau employees are anticipating promotion and a better life because of Wynn Palace," Wynn said.

"We wait for an announcement from the government with baited breath ... What we are seeing in China is an entrenchment." he added.

Tagscasino, gambling, Macau, Anti-corruption