The Chinese Embassy in Singapore issued a notice on Saturday through its official WeChat account, urging Chinese citizens to stay away from gambling.

The notice was prompted by a recent incident in which a Chinese national died after allegedly gambling at Marina Bay Sands Casino and later jumping from a building. The embassy is currently assisting the family with follow-up arrangements.

According to the notice, the embassy has handled several cases in recent years involving deaths linked to gambling and has previously issued warnings to Chinese citizens. With the Chinese New Year holiday approaching and more tourists traveling to Singapore, the embassy reiterated the importance of legal awareness and cautioned citizens to refrain from gambling.

The notice emphasized that gambling is strictly prohibited under Chinese law, and an amendment to China’s Criminal Law explicitly criminalizes cross-border gambling. Even in countries where casinos operate legally, Chinese citizens who gamble abroad may still violate Chinese law. Organizing or hosting gambling activities may result in prosecution, and embassies and consulates cannot provide protection for illegal acts.

The embassy further warned that gambling can lead to severe personal and financial consequences, including financial ruin, family breakdown and even loss of life. Cross-border gambling may also expose individuals to risks such as fraud, money laundering, kidnapping, detention, human trafficking and involvement in illegal migration.

The notice highlighted that the Chinese Ministry of Public Security has established a comprehensive reporting platform to combat cross-border gambling. Citizens who have information about Chinese nationals suspected of operating casinos abroad, organizing gambling activities or engaging in online cross-border gambling are encouraged to report it.