Compare no-deposit free spins and free chips by your current country of residence. Choose a country below to see its actual promotions, bonus codes and claim conditions.
These are international comparisons: the linked pages identify their market. Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau have different gambling rules, explained further down this page.
Compare current bonuses by country
No site can legally offer you a casino bonus on the mainland. These eight cards explain the rules instead, starting with the ones that affect players most.
Australia
Free spins & free chips
Compare the current bonuses and claim conditions for Australia. Use your actual country of residence when checking eligibility.
Choose your actual market. These country comparisons do not establish eligibility for a player in mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau.
Before you sign up anywhere
Five quick checks if a site still offers you a bonus.
There’s no legal casino bonus in mainland China
Gambling for money is a crime on the mainland, and online casinos are treated like physical ones. Any “China bonus” you see comes from a site breaking the law.
Offshore sites offer no protection
If an offshore casino keeps your money, there’s no regulator to complain to and no legal route to get it back.
Be wary of anyone recruiting you to gamble abroad
Organising Chinese citizens to gamble overseas has been a crime since 2021. Agents offering casino trips or special online accounts are part of what’s being targeted.
Hong Kong has different rules
In Hong Kong, licensed betting runs through the Jockey Club. Betting with an unlicensed bookmaker is an offence for you as well as them.
Free help
On the mainland, the national mental health line is 12356. In Hong Kong, the gambling counselling line is 1834 633. About 12356.
How the law got tougher
China has tightened its gambling rules over the last fifteen years. Here are the key steps.
Key steps
2010: the top court, the procuratorate and the police set out how online gambling sites are prosecuted, as casinos.
2020: they issue joint Opinions on cross-border gambling, targeting overseas casinos and online gambling groups.
2021: Criminal Law Amendment XI raises the penalties for opening a casino and makes organising citizens to gamble abroad a crime.
Today, running or promoting a casino for Chinese players, online or abroad, can mean years in prison. That’s why no legal bonus exists for players on the mainland.
Online casinos: Mainland China. Opening a casino: Maximum, in serious cases. Hong Kong: The licensed betting operator.
Last checkedCriminal Law and official sources
6 Oct
Our editorial tip
Treat any “China bonus” as a red flag
A site offering mainland players a casino bonus is breaking Chinese law. If it keeps your deposit, there’s nobody to complain to. Don’t send it money.
China gambling questions
Are there any no deposit casino bonuses in China?
No legal ones on the mainland. Gambling for money is a crime there, and online casinos are treated like physical ones, so no site can legally offer you a bonus.
Is online gambling legal in China?
Not on the mainland. The only legal gambling there is the state-run lotteries. Hong Kong and Macau have their own laws.
What is the penalty for running an online casino in China?
Opening a casino can mean up to five years in prison, or five to ten years in serious cases, plus a fine. Courts treat gambling websites as casinos.
Is it illegal to organise gambling trips abroad?
Yes, since 2021. Organising Chinese citizens to gamble overseas is punished like opening a casino where the sums are huge or the case is serious.
What changed with Criminal Law Amendment XI?
It raised the penalties for opening a casino to up to ten years in serious cases, and made organising citizens to gamble abroad a crime.
Can I use an offshore casino from China?
Those sites are operating illegally under Chinese law. If one keeps your money, there’s no regulator to complain to and no legal route to get it back.
Are the state lotteries legal?
Yes. The state-run lotteries are the legal form of gambling on the mainland.
Can I bet online in Hong Kong?
Only with the licensed operator, the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Betting with an unlicensed bookmaker is an offence, even if the bookmaker is abroad.
What is the penalty for betting with an illegal bookmaker in Hong Kong?
A first conviction can mean a fine and up to three months in prison. Repeat offences can mean up to nine months.
Are Macau casinos legal?
Yes, under Macau’s own law. Its regulator, the DICJ, supervises the licensed casinos.
Does Macau’s law protect mainland players?
Macau’s rules apply in Macau. On the mainland, organising citizens to gamble abroad can still be a crime.
Is mahjong for money illegal?
Playing for fun is fine. Gathering people to gamble for profit, or running it as a business, falls under the gambling laws.
Is Mark Six legal in Hong Kong?
Yes. Mark Six is the licensed lottery run through the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
What is the Hong Kong Jockey Club?
The licensed operator for horse racing, football betting and the Mark Six lottery in Hong Kong.
Can I play free casino games in China?
Free games with no money stakes aren’t gambling. The law targets gambling for money and the businesses that run it.
Why do other sites still advertise China casino bonuses?
Some sites ignore Chinese law to earn commission. We don’t, because advertising for gambling sites aimed at Chinese players can be part of the crime.
Does using a VPN make it legal?
No. The law is about gambling for money, not how you connect to the site.
Is betting on football legal in mainland China?
Only through the state Sports Lottery. Betting with other websites or bookmakers is illegal gambling.
What is the 12356 helpline?
A national psychological assistance line from the National Health Commission. It offers mental health education, counselling and support.
Where can I get help with gambling problems in China?
On the mainland, call the national mental health line on 12356. In Hong Kong, the gambling counselling line is 1834 633.
Each point in full, with sources
Every card above, explained with links to the law and official sources.
Online casinos: Illegal on the mainland
China’s Criminal Law makes it a crime to gather people to gamble, or to make gambling a business, for profit. That carries up to three years in prison and a fine.
Online casinos fall under the same rules. So there are no legal no deposit bonuses for players in mainland China, and we don’t list any.
Hong Kong and Macau have their own gambling laws, which we cover in the last two cards.
A site offering you a bonus in Chinese, in yuan or through a messaging app isn’t showing that it’s legal. It’s showing that it’s targeting players it shouldn’t.
Legal basis: Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China, Article 303, as amended by Criminal Law Amendment XI.
Article 303 sets out the penalties. Opening a casino can mean up to five years in prison, short-term detention or controlled release, plus a fine.
Where the circumstances are serious, the sentence is five to ten years in prison, plus a fine. Amendment XI raised these penalties in 2021.
Gathering people to gamble for profit, or making gambling a business, carries up to three years. People who help run these sites, for example with payments or advertising, can face charges too.
Legal basis: Criminal Law Article 303, paragraph 2, as amended by Criminal Law Amendment XI.
In September 2010 the Supreme People’s Court, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate and the Ministry of Public Security issued joint Opinions on online gambling cases.
They set out when running a gambling website counts as operating a gambling house. They also cover people who help those sites, such as payment and advertising services.
So an online casino offering bonuses to Chinese players isn’t a grey area. It’s the same crime as running a casino.
Legal basis: SPC, SPP and MPS Opinions on the Application of Law in Handling Online Gambling Crime Cases, 2010.
Amendment XI added a new rule to Article 303. Organising PRC citizens to take part in overseas gambling is punished like opening a casino, where the amount is huge or the circumstances are serious.
That targets the agents and websites that recruit Chinese players for casinos abroad, including online ones.
If someone offers to arrange a casino trip, credit or an online account abroad, walk away. The organiser is the one committing the crime, but you could lose your money with no help to get it back.
Legal basis: Criminal Law Article 303, paragraph 3, added by Criminal Law Amendment XI.
Hong Kong has its own law, the Gambling Ordinance. Section 8 makes betting with a bookmaker an offence, whether the bet is received in Hong Kong or outside it.
A first conviction can mean a fine and up to three months in prison, rising to nine months for repeat offences. Licensed betting runs through the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
If you live in Hong Kong, stick to the Jockey Club for racing, football betting and Mark Six. Offshore casino and betting sites aren’t licensed there.
How we check. On 6 October 2026 we read Article 303 of the Criminal Law and Amendment XI in English. We also read summaries of the 2010 and 2020 joint Opinions, and Hong Kong’s Gambling Ordinance.
We don’t list offshore casinos for players in China, because offering them there is a crime. If the law changes, this page will need updating.
How to stay safe
If casino sites still contact you, these steps keep your money safe.
Four steps, in order.
Don’t deposit with offshore sites
They’re breaking Chinese law, and your money has no protection if they won’t pay.
Ignore “China bonus” adverts
An offer in your messages or feed is a warning sign, not a deal.
Say no to gambling recruiters
Agents organising gambling abroad are committing a crime, and the trips can leave you out of pocket.
Get help if you need it
Call 12356 on the mainland or 1834 633 in Hong Kong.
Worked example
¥5,000 deposit + offshore site = ¥0 protection
Say an offshore site offers you a ¥1,000 bonus on a ¥5,000 deposit. If it later refuses to pay, there’s no regulator to complain to and no legal route to recover it.
The bonus looks like extra money, but the whole ¥6,000 sits with a business breaking Chinese law. That’s why we don’t list these sites.
China’s rules are strict and getting stricter. If gambling is causing problems, call 12356 on the mainland or 1834 633 in Hong Kong.
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