Do not take gambling, fraud or pornography app contracts, or build payment channels and restore accounts for such clients
Developers can be treated as accomplices in operating a casino under Chinese law, facing up to 5 years or 5–10 years in serious cases, rather than the 3-year maximum for the separate offense of assisting online crime. Twenty-eight developers of an esports betting app received 1 year to 3 years 6 months. Someone restoring QQ accounts for a fraud group received 1 year 6 months and a RMB 20,000 fine.
What it takes
No outlay, but you give up unusually lucrative, vaguely specified outsourcing work. The price can be much higher than legitimate contracts.
What you may gain
Knowingly providing technical support, payment settlement or similar assistance for online crime carries up to 3 years and/or a fine in serious cases. If another offense also applies, the heavier offense governs. Operating a casino carries up to 5 years plus a fine, or 5–10 years in serious cases. Zhang Sheng's group developed gambling games and sold complete website operations, charging setup and reporting fees; the case involved nearly RMB 7 billion. Zhang received 9 years 9 months and a RMB 50 million fine. Wang Qiang and 78 others responsible for outsourced development received between 6 months and 9 years 9 months. Chen Dong and others developed and operated an esports betting app, with a technical team coding in Hainan; 28 people received 1 year to 3 years 6 months plus fines for operating a casino. Zhang, who ran a studio restoring banned QQ accounts for a fraud gang, received 1 year 6 months and RMB 20,000. Chinese cases and rules apply.
Context & considerations
Knowledge does not require the client to state the intended crime aloud. A price far above market, deposits and withdrawals combined with betting odds, and refusal to explain the purpose can support an inference that you knew. Gambling-app developers may be casino-operation accomplices, not merely defendants under the separate assisting-information-network-crime offense with its 3-year maximum.
Research & references
National People's Congress of China (2020). Criminal Law incorporating Amendment XI, Articles 287-2 and 303(2). https://jtgl.beijing.gov.cn/jgj/jgxx/flfg/fl/11033925/index.html; Supreme People's Procuratorate (2023). Building and Selling Gambling Websites in a Case Involving Nearly RMB 7 Billion. https://www.spp.gov.cn/spp/zdgz/202307/t20230711_621248.shtml; Supreme People's Procuratorate (2022). Shanghai Minhang: A New Type of Online Casino Case. https://www.spp.gov.cn/spp/zdgz/202208/t20220805_569952.shtml; Supreme People's Procuratorate (2025). Typical Cases of Assisting Information-Network Crime and Related Offenses, case 1. https://www.spp.gov.cn/xwfbh/wsfbt/202507/t20250728_702377.shtml