China bans popular poker apps

The Chinese authorities have blocked some of the most popular poker mobile apps, including Poker King and Poker Tribe platforms, in its renewed bid to crack down online gambling.

The Chinese government wants to have a firm control over online gambling sphere. Some estimates suggest that the online poker apps used to generate 50 million yuan ($7.2 million) per day.

The SCMP report stated that Poker King made money by charging a commission on money won by players on the app. Players were required to deposit at least 1,000 yuan ($144) when they registered a new account, as well as provide a payment option for further deposits.

That may seem to obviously run afoul of Chinese gambling laws. However, Poker King and other online poker platforms have argued that they are operating legally under licenses that have been insured in the Philippines. Many apps have reappeared under alternative names after being shut down in the past: for instance, Poker King was once known as Poker Circle.

Source: SCMP