China isn’t messing around when it comes to online gambling. Considerng the activity a national security risk, the country’s now pushing hard to shut down junkets, spelling an end for online operator AG Asia Entertainment.
Reuters reports China has seized as much as 229 billion yuan ($32.95 billion) from bank accounts tied to gambling activity in recent months. The impact has been felt primarily by Macau junket operators, of course, but also online operators.
AG Asia Entertainment, an online junket operated out of the Philippines, has been forced to cease operations as a result. They notified customers to withdraw their funds by August 12.
Lam Kai Kuong, director of the Macau Junket Association, thinks this crack down on junkets will mean the best days of VIP revenue are behind us. Unless China changes its mood, he warns that the industry will never return to the VIP play it saw in 2018.