Authorities in Beijing are sweeping up all the “dirty cash” around the country.

Last week, Chinese police arrested 450 people who they believe have been illegally transferring money out of the country. According to state news outlets, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), the People’s Bank of China and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange discovered a total of 192 locations where illegal banking services involving an estimated US$30 billion were provided.

Analysts at Goldman Sachs estimate that up to US$28 billion exited China last December, according to a Bloomberg report.

MPS officials said underground banks in the country have become channels for transferring money that been obtained through illegal activities, such as public funds embezzled by corrupted officials. The crackdown focused on “cross-regional and cross-border underground banks,” the ministry said.

Australia’s habitual gambling scold Nick Xenophon is stepping up his efforts to curb gambling advertising on television.

Several weeks ago, the Alliance for Gambling Reform proposed to give commercial television broadcasters a discount on their license fees—a dollar for every dollar that they did not take from a sports betting company. The plan potentially gives a broadcaster over $100 million in license fee discounts annually.

Now, Xenophon is reportedly seeking to hold talks with the Turnbull government and at least three major broadcasters to propose the said offset, according to The Australian. The Senate powerbroker wants to meet with Communications Minister Mitch Fifield as well as Seven, Nine, and Ten networks “in the first sitting week of parliament on August 30.”

“I don’t think the networks should be out of pocket,” Xenophon told the news outlet. “They shouldn’t be bearing the brunt of this when it’s the government that has allowed it to proliferate.”

Beleaguered Irish betting operator SeanieMac is seeking financial life support after the company bled an accumulated to almost $9.93 million worth of losses.

The Independent reported that SeanieMac, which was founded by Donegal hotelier and former GAA player Brian McEniff’s son Sean McEniff, sent an SOS from outside investors as it warned that it may cease operating if it can’t raise any additional funds.

SeanieMac said it needs $500,000 (€441,000) to pay for operational costs such as its website and marketing expenses.

“If the company is unable to obtain additional funding and improve its operations, the company’s financial operations may be materially adversely affected and the company may not be able to continue operations,” the company warned.

Beleaguered Irish betting operator SeanieMac is seeking financial life support after the company bled an accumulated to almost $9.93 million worth of losses.

The Independent reported that SeanieMac, which was founded by Donegal hotelier and former GAA player Brian McEniff’s son Sean McEniff, sent an SOS from outside investors as it warned that it may cease operating if it can’t raise any additional funds.

SeanieMac said it needs $500,000 (€441,000) to pay for operational costs such as its website and marketing expenses.

“If the company is unable to obtain additional funding and improve its operations, the company’s financial operations may be materially adversely affected and the company may not be able to continue operations,” the company warned.

Remember Ng Lap Seng? The Macau billionaire who has been charged with bribing a UN diplomat is now being linked to another businessman believed to be operating as an intelligence agent for China.

Ng is currently standing trial in New York on allegations that he bribed the now-deceased former General Assembly president, John Ashe, in bribes to advance his interest in the UN. The Chinese billionaire has been pushing for the sponsorship of a UN conference center in Macau, which would have served as his legacy.

Last September, when Ng was confined to his New York apartment following his arrest, he was interviewed by FBI agents who sought to clarify his relationship with a suspected Chinese agent, a man named Qin Fei.

Qin was traveling with Ng when the latter was arrested, but was able to return to China, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Remember Ng Lap Seng? The Macau billionaire who has been charged with bribing a UN diplomat is now being linked to another businessman believed to be operating as an intelligence agent for China.

Ng is currently standing trial in New York on allegations that he bribed the now-deceased former General Assembly president, John Ashe, in bribes to advance his interest in the UN. The Chinese billionaire has been pushing for the sponsorship of a UN conference center in Macau, which would have served as his legacy.

Last September, when Ng was confined to his New York apartment following his arrest, he was interviewed by FBI agents who sought to clarify his relationship with a suspected Chinese agent, a man named Qin Fei.

Qin was traveling with Ng when the latter was arrested, but was able to return to China, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Not contented with just regulating fantasy sports, a state assemblyman wants to take things further and has expressed interest in passing a law that would legalize sports betting in New York.

Assembly Racing Committee Chairman Gary Pretlow (D-Mount Vernon) said he is considering treading the same path as New Jersey and introduce a legislation that would allow residents in the state to take sports bets, Democrat & Chronicle reported.

A confessed “believer in legalizing sports betting,” Pretlow said his bill’s goal is to “pressure the Congress” into changing the existing sports betting laws.

“I’m considering this year putting in legislation similar to New Jersey’s legislation and hopefully it gets to court in the Second Circuit, and hopefully we get a different opinion,” Pretlow said, according to the report.

The likelihood of a bill to legalise online poker in California by the end of the year looks remote after a coalition led by PokerStars, the Poker Players Alliance, and two influential tribes oppose AB.2863 after Adam Gray included a last minute amendment to ban PokerStars for five years.

Once upon a time (before 2006), there was a thriving online poker business in the United States of America. At that point, partypoker was the largest online poker room in the world. Parent company PartyGaming had a market value of over $8 billion.

Then came the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). Attached to the SAFE Port Act, this document prohibited gambling enterprises from accepting wagers that involved the Internet. Partypoker took the hint, packed up their suitcase and left the States. PokerStars did not.

More knowledgeable people than me are currently arguing that PokerStars’ decision to offer US citizens an online poker room, when the rest of the online poker rooms had buggered off because of the UIGEA, is the primary reason they now dominate 70% of the global online poker market.