Mahjong and poker can be played — no rake, no banker role, no organizing paid games, no online gambling

13. Mahjong and poker can be played — no rake, no banker role, no organizing paid games, no online gambling

Cost: No expense at all. Small‑stakes games among friends are perfectly fine. There’s no rake, no banker duty, and no money collected for organizing the game. The hard part is resisting the urge to step in when someone else tries to run the game.

In plain terms: Playing low‑stakes card games with friends is completely legal. However, once you start taking a cut of the pot, acting as banker, or charging money to organize the game, the activity becomes illegal: anyone involved in gambling with relatively large stakes can face up to 5 days in detention or a fine of up to 1,000 yuan. Those who run gambling dens or make a living from gambling may be sentenced to up to 3 years in prison; casino operators can be sentenced to up to 5 years. Exactly what amount counts as “relatively large stakes” varies by region — there is no single national threshold.

Benefit: Providing facilities or services for gambling in order to make money, or taking part in gambling with relatively large stakes, can lead to up to 5 days in detention or a fine of up to 1,000 yuan. In more serious cases the penalty rises to 10–15 days in detention and a fine of 1,000–5,000 yuan. Organizing gambling sessions for profit or relying on gambling as a livelihood can result in up to 3 years in prison and a fine. Casino operators face up to 5 years in prison and a fine; repeat offenders may be sentenced to 5–10 years (nationwide).

Evidence grade: B

Sources: National People's Congress Standing Committee (2025). Public Security Administration Punishment Law (amended in 2025, Article 82). <https://www.spp.gov.cn/spp/fl/202506/t20250627_699863.shtml>; National People's Congress (2020). Criminal Law (amended in accordance with the Criminal Law Amendment (Eleven), Article 303). <https://jtgl.beijing.gov.cn/jgj/jgxx/flfg/fl/11033925/index.html>; Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (2020). Criminal Law Amendment (11) (Article 36, the prison term for opening a casino is increased to less than five years, and between five years and less than ten years). <https://www.spp.gov.cn/zdgz/202012/t20201227_503682.shtml>

Notes: Because there is no uniform national definition of “relatively large stakes” — each region sets its own limit — this recommendation is rated B only. Taking a cut of the pot or acting as an intermediary for online gambling platforms is often treated as running a casino under the law. The original judicial interpretations cited here have not been independently verified, and no official case examples could be found.