Chinese Authorities Shut Down PokerStars-Sponsored TournamentAPPT Nanjing Millions Raided Last Week By Police |
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A PokerStars-sponsored poker tournament in Nanjing, China was shut down on Friday by the Chinese National Police. Gambling is illegal in mainland China, but apparently authorities in the city don’t quite see poker as the game of skill that it is and need questions about the tournaments addressed.
Even though gambling is illegal under Chinese law, what constitutes gambling varies from province to province. There have been poker tournaments in the mainland in the past which ran without issue.
The news from Nanjing comes via a report from World Gaming Magazine, which apparently was on hand to cover the raid of the APPT Nanjing Millions.
Photos taken of the venue show police blocking the entrance to the Wutaishan Sports Center. A sign on the door read: “Due to the APPT Nanjing Millions tournament being suspected of illegal gambling, the police are now investigating and the event is being ceased. All related staff should go and register at the designated location and co-operate with the police for the investigation.”
The main event of the tour stop that was shut down reportedly had more than 2,300 entrants.
The investigation into the poker tournament is still ongoing, as players reportedly are still in the dark about whether the event will resume.
The only place in China where gambling is legal is Macau, which is considered a special administrative region of China, like Hong Kong.
A crackdown on perceived corruption in Macau is part of the reason why gaming revenues in the former Portuguese colony have plummeted over the past year or so.
Macau is still considered the world’s hotbed of high-stakes poker.
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