Chinese TikTok app Douyin bans 10K illegal gambling accounts
Douyin, the mainland Chinese sister app of TikTok, has launched a sweeping crackdown on illegal gambling activities, banning more than 10,000 accounts per day as it intensifies platform enforcement. The move comes amid growing concerns over the use of social media platforms to promote unregulated betting services, with the company identifying coordinated efforts by criminal groups to bypass its detection systems.
According to reports from Chinese media outlet Jiemian News, Douyin has uncovered networks attempting to evade automated moderation tools by posting so-called “cryptic messages”. These cryptic messages are coded content designed to avoid triggering platform safeguards. They often redirect users to external gambling platforms, prompting the company to take stricter enforcement action.
Mass account bans and platform enforcement
Douyin said it has already penalised around 55,000 livestreaming accounts this year for allowing gambling-related promotions through such indirect methods. In addition, approximately 14,000 accounts have had their livestreaming privileges permanently revoked as part of the crackdown. The platform reiterated that it “strictly prohibits users from using its services to organise gambling, recruit gamblers, or engage in other illegal or criminal activities.”
It also warned that content promoting gambling strategies, cheating techniques or tools designed to exploit online casino platforms would be removed, with offending accounts subject to bans.
Collaboration with law enforcement
Beyond platform enforcement, Douyin has stepped up cooperation with law enforcement agencies to tackle illegal gambling networks. The company said that since last year, the information it shared with authorities has led to 148 arrests and the dismantling of six criminal groups involved in online gambling operations.
This reflects a broader push by Chinese authorities to clamp down on illicit digital activities, particularly those targeting the country’s younger audiences. China has widened its crackdown on illegal gambling in recent years. While gambling and iGaming have been banned on the Chinese mainland for decades, forming one of Asia’s strictest regulatory frameworks, Chinese officials say evolving online models and transnational crime groups have forced a recalibration of enforcement tactics.
Last year, Beijing took major steps against online gaming. A succession of major enforcement actions marked its renewed focus. Among the most prominent is the extradition of She Zhijiang, a Chinese-Cambodian businessman accused of running more than 200 online gambling platforms and an alleged large-scale scam operation targeting mainland users.
A massive youth user base at risk
Launched in 2016 by ByteDance, Douyin operates exclusively within mainland China and complies with strict domestic regulations. The platform has grown into one of the country’s largest digital ecosystems. It reportedly boasts around 766 million monthly active users, with nearly as many logging in daily. A significant proportion of its audience is under the age of 35 and based in urban centres, demographics considered particularly vulnerable to online gambling exposure.
Douyin also functions as an integrated e-commerce platform, allowing users to purchase products directly through videos and livestreams, further increasing engagement and time spent on the app.
Wider crackdown on gambling activities
The crackdown comes as authorities across Asia intensify enforcement against illegal gambling. Data showed offshore betting companies intensified their presence in India’s digital advertising space by using influencers and content creators, even as the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act 2025 (PROGA) imposes strict bans on such promotions.
Meanwhile, the continued appearance of illegal gambling advertisements on social media prompted regulators across Asia to review how major digital platforms handle promotional content. Governments in several countries began introducing restrictions and policy measures as authorities assess enforcement gaps in the online advertising space. Recently, it was found that Meta, the parent company of social media giant Facebook, continued to promote online gambling advertisements on its platforms despite bans in multiple countries, according to a new investigation by Rest of World, a non-profit publication.
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