Best 12 Live Casinos in China

China, or officially known as the People's Republic of China (PRC) is located in East Asia and is the most populous country in the world. It emerged as one of the world's first civilizations, which is why it has such a rich history. Thanks to its total area of around 9.6 million kilometres, it ranks in the top five largest nations in the world.

As a unitary one-party socialist republic, China is one of the few countries in the world where communism has managed to survive in the modern era. It is officially divided into 23 provinces, five autonomous regions, two special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau), and four direct-controlled municipalities – Shanghai, Tianjin, Beijing, and Chongqing.

Not only that but China is known as one of the biggest economic powers in the world. It has tons of developed sectors. It is the world's fastest-growing major economy, it is the second-wealthiest nation, and the world’s largest exporter and manufacturer. Additionally, China became the second-largest country by nominal GDP in 2010 and the largest in the world by PPP in 2014. The major economic reforms that took place in 1978 are to thank for these massive achievements.

Live casinos in China are in a very complicated legal position. As a communist country, the government has forbidden online casinos, hence live casinos are not allowed to operate and offer their services to the people. However, it was mentioned in the beginning that China also has provinces, special administrative regions, and autonomous regions, which do have the power to pass legislations of their choosing.

Such is the case with Hong Kong and Macau. They are special administrative regions and have enough sovereignty to regulate the industry. Hence, live casinos are legal to operate in these regions and the players are more than happy to access them and play all of their featured games.

The residents in Hong Kong and Macau have grown fond of these games very much in the past couple of years as they provide them with a unique gaming experience. Live casinos are also part of the reason why so many Chinese residents that are not from Hong Kong or Macau are more than willing to travel abroad where these sites are legal and access the games there. That is why some of their most popular destinations are Singapore, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

Ever since the Communist Party took power in China in 1948, gambling in the country has been illegal. To make things even worse, any form of gambling for the Chinese residents, whether that be land-based gambling, gambling at live casinos, or online casinos, and even offshore gambling is formally illegal.

But, two of these regions – Hong Kong and Macau, which have official status as special administrative states have legalized gambling due to the fact that they have been made aware of its full potential. In Hong Kong, gambling has been regulated by the Hong Kong Jockey Club since 1977.

On the other side, gambling in Macau has been legal and well-regulated since the 1850s. During this time, Macau was still a Portuguese colony. Gambling actually became one of the major contributors in this region. Statistics showed that Macau overtook the Las Vegas Strip in gaming revenues.

As the modern era came upon, the Chinese people were growing extremely fond of casino games, especially live casinos, which is why the gambling industry became one of the wealthiest black market industries in the country.

These days, gambling remains very popular in China, even though it is still illegal in most parts. Some estimates are that the revenue of the industry exceeds one trillion Yuan every year. To make things even worse, even though they are formally not allowed to visit other countries and gamble there, Chinese players still do it.

In most cases, they travel to close-by countries such as the Philippines and Singapore. In these countries, they are more than welcome to gamble on the best casino games and be provided with the highest level of entertainment. It is worth noting that the only two legal forms of gambling in mainland China are the Welfare Lottery and the Sports Lottery.

As for Hong Kong and Macau, the gambling industry flourishes there and both of these regions have massive economic benefits. Thanks to this industry, thousands of people are employed and the regions receive millions of dollars in tax money.

The future of online casinos in China (and live casinos for that matter) is a bit rocky. Even though the pressure from the people is great, the Communist Party doesn’t seem even remotely worried and there are no rumours of making this industry legal.

It is believed that online casinos will remain illegal in mainland China for a long period, which may be a problem, considering the fact that Chinese players are very fond of these games. But, that will also not bother the residents too much as they too are expected to be a part of these activities, regardless if they are considered legal or not.

After all, they have tons of options at their disposal. They can go to the two special regions – Hong Kong and Macau to gamble legally, or travel abroad. Many of the surrounding countries of China have legalized land-based and online gambling and the stats have shown that Chinese people often travel there just for the sake of gambling.

As for Macau and Hong Kong, these two regions are likely to preserve their healthy relationship with online casinos and continue to let them grow. As stated earlier, they are a massive contributor to the economy as they pay millions of dollars in taxes and employ a lot of people.

As stated earlier, gambling in mainland China has been made illegal ever since the Communist Party took power in 1948. The only two legal forms of gambling in the country are the Welfare Lottery and the Sports Lottery, which are entirely controlled by the state.

This has resulted in the development of a massive underground ring of gambling which is estimated to have around one trillion Yuan annually. Not only that, but Chinese residents are also more than open to the idea of travelling abroad to play their favourite casino games.

But, the two special administrative states of Hong Kong and Macau have legalized gambling and they are the only regions in the country where the residents can gamble without facing any consequences. Gambling in Hong Kong has been legal and regulated ever since 1977, while gambling in Macau has been legal since the 1850s.

The massive ban on gambling in mainland China has proven to be a big problem as the black market is developing at a fast rate, but the government still does not seem to be too concerned with it, hence they are not even discussing the possibility of legalizing land-based and online casinos.

In mainland China, since gambling is illegal, all of these activities are mentioned in the Criminal Law. According to the legislative, the residents are not allowed to gamble at land-based or online casinos. That also makes live casinos illegal. To make things even worse, according to the law, the players are not even allowed to gamble offshore, but they choose to ignore this part. That is why Chinese people travel to neighbouring countries for the sole purpose of participating in gambling-related activities.

The government of Hong Kong allows a certain number of gambling activities. The Gambling Ordinance was enacted in 1977 and its purpose is to regulate the gambling industry in this special region. Additionally, since horse racing is a big part of the history in this county, a special club that goes by the name the Hong Kong Jockey Club regulates all activities connected to betting on horses.

The law that regulates gambling in Macau is Law 16/2001 and the government of Macau is the direct supervisor of this industry. It is worth noting that gambling tourism is one of the biggest incomes for this region and it makes up around 50% of the total economy. Gambling activities in Macau are divided into the following categories:

• Casino games
• Greyhound racing
• Sports betting
• Lotteries It is worth noting that even though players in Macau can access live casinos and online casinos, the government does not license these operators.

  Chinese Players Favourite Live Games

  The three favourite live games of Chinese players are Live Sic Bo, Live Dragon Tiger and Live Pai Gow. All of these games are popular in the Asian market and feature the traditional Asian culture as the main theme, which is why they are adored by players in this region.

  Live Casino Games

  Live casino games are also set to be the future of online gambling in China. After all, they provide the players with a unique gaming experience, one that is far different from regular casino games. All Chinese players have to do is register at the chosen live casino, deposit, and choose one of the three aforementioned live games.

They are hosted by a dealer from a certain location in real-time and the event is held via a stream. Depending on the live casino game and its game provider, an unlimited number of players may also join the stream and wager in real-time. The best part about live casino games is that they are very interactive and players can communicate with the dealers via a chat.

As stated earlier, live casino games are getting a huge rise in popularity, but Chinese players are also fond of playing several regular casino games. Regular Pai-Gow Poker, Pachinko, and baccarat are the most commonly chosen.

Out of all of these, Pachinko is by far the most popular game. Not only do online casinos provide this game, but many legal land-based facilities are packed with Pachinko machines. They are a very popular game in this region and Chinese players are fond of accessing and playing them.

Bitcoin games have also had a small surge in popularity recently. To access then, Chinese players need to make a deposit with the said cryptocurrency. But, they are nowhere as near as popular as live casino games or the aforementioned regular casino games.

A reputable game provider is always a good indicator of a quality game. Some of the world’s most renowned providers supply online casinos with HD games that have fantastic gameplay. That is the reason why Chinese players are always looking for the most reputable suppliers of live casino games. Hence, they will be on the lookout for the likes of Evolution Gaming and Asia Live Gaming.

Providers that create quality regular casino games are also a good bonus. Hence, brands such as NetEnt, Microgaming, Play’n GO, Pragmatic Play, Quickspin, Red Tiger Gaming, Yggdrasil and Big Time Gaming are also among the names that Chinese players are fond of.

The two most preferred casino bonuses in China are welcome bonuses and cash back bonuses. Since welcome bonuses are the first bonus that Chinese players come across, they are the number 1 most preferred. Thanks to welcome offers, the players from this country have a nice head start and get extremely familiar with the casino games.

Welcome bonuses vary from one site to another, but in most cases, they reward the player with match deposit bonuses and Free Spins. Free Spins are used on slot games, but players should be careful as they come with numerous terms and conditions, such as wagering requirements, timeframes in which they must be used, maximum bonus amount, etc. Players are also limited on the number of slots on which they can use the Free Spins.

Cashback bonuses are very popular and preferred because they mostly apply to live casino games. Additionally, they do not come with many terms and conditions and are very simple to claim. Players must play live casino games over a certain period, then log in to claim some of the lost amounts during that period on a specified day. The percentage varies from one operator to another.

Lastly, loyalty programs also deserve a mention as they often reward the most loyal players in China with higher cash back percentages, among many other things. Depending on their level, players can receive up to 25-30% cashback on live dealer games. Additionally, they may be provided with exclusive gifts, personal account managers, VIP Support, higher withdrawal limits, etc.

By reading the terms and conditions of the bonuses, players will get familiar with the requirements to claim the bonuses. They are worth a read because they vary from one operator to another. Some general terms and conditions state that the players must be registered at the selected online casino and be of legal age.

To claim welcome bonuses, players will also need to make the minimum required bonus. They should keep in mind that the welcome bonus is only available to newly-registered players and can be claimed just once. Free Spins from welcome bonuses are a big subject to terms and conditions. Usually, they are rewarded over a few consecutive days and players have a limited time in which they can use them.

As for cashback bonuses, they are among the simplest bonuses that players claim. All they have to do is log in and play live casino games over a certain period. Then, they just need to log in on the specified day the next week and claim some of their lost amounts.

Some operators may require players to type in bonus codes or/and contact Customer Support. To check the specific requirements, players are ought to visit the Promotions tab of the chosen casino.

When it comes to the payment methods in China, players from this region usually use WeChat Pay as well as credit and debit cards. WeChat Pay is a mobile payment method that provides players with extremely fast and secure transactions. One of its competitors is Alipay, which is under the ownership of the Alibaba Group.

As for credit and debit cards, they are very popular due to the fact that almost every live casino accepts them. Not only that, but they are among the most secure and fastest methods that players can use. Deposits with credit and debit cards are instant, while withdrawals have a very short processing period – around 3 business days.

Some of the less popular payment methods in China are e-wallets such as PayPal, Skrill, and Neteller. While they come with pretty fast transactions, China has substitutes for these methods, and the residents are fonder of using them. But, they are not featured at many live casinos, which is why they are not as popular as WeChat Pay, Alipay, and credit and debit cards.

Bitcoin also managed to leave some sort of a mark. By making a deposit with this cryptocurrency, players gain access to unique games. Not only that, but both deposits and withdrawals with Bitcoin are instant and fees are not charged.