China’s Douyin flags 400K+ accounts over FIFA gambling content
China’s social media app Douyin has taken major actions to tackle illegal online gambling during the 2026 FIFA World Cup by flagging hundreds of thousands of accounts linked to unlawful betting activity.
According to a report by Chinese state broadcaster CNR, the ByteDance-owned platform flagged around 417,000 gambling-related accounts in one month. Out of these, over 90,000 were permanently banned for promoting illegal sports betting.
The action comes as Chinese authorities warn that major sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup continue to drive a sharp increase in illegal betting, despite gambling remaining largely prohibited across mainland China. The state-run sports lottery remains the country’s only legal betting option.
Officials believe organised betting syndicates are taking advantage of the tournament’s popularity by using social media platforms to steer football fans towards offshore gambling websites.
Bypassing automated systems
According to Douyin, many of these groups rely on QR codes, coded language and disguised livestreams to bypass automated moderation systems. Some also promote gambling apps through ordinary-looking posts before redirecting users to illegal betting platforms.
Alongside banning accounts, Douyin said it removed thousands of gambling-related livestreams and passed user information to law enforcement authorities to support ongoing investigations.
The company added that enforcement has intensified since April, with more than 10,000 gambling-related accounts being removed every day. It also confirmed that information shared through its investigations has helped police arrest 162 suspects linked to illegal gambling and other online crimes.
Other apps taking action
Douyin is not the only platform taking action. Lifestyle platform Xiaohongshu has also launched a large-scale clean-up campaign during the World Cup. The company said it has banned more than 40,000 gambling-related accounts since early June, while removing over 65,000 posts and more than 450,000 comments promoting illegal betting. It has also referred several cases to the police for further investigation.
The online crackdown has been matched by action on the ground, with police ramping up enforcement against illegal World Cup betting networks across the country in recent weeks.
Ongoing crackdown in China
One of the largest raids was carried out in Jiande, Hangzhou Province, where police broke up a cross-border betting operation after tracking the group for several weeks. Eight people were arrested, and authorities seized around $148,000 in suspected illegal betting funds.
According to police, the group engaged football fans with promises of better odds and guaranteed returns before directing them to unlicenced betting websites. Investigators say the inquiry is still underway and more arrests could follow.
Another operation in Jiangyou, Sichuan Province, led to the arrest of four suspects accused of running an illegal World Cup betting website. Officers seized more than 300,000 yuan (around $44,000) and said the group promoted betting links via WeChat chat groups and other social media channels, constantly changing payment accounts to avoid detection.
Similar raids have also been reported in Guangxi Province and Xi’an in recent weeks. Authorities continue to warn football fans to avoid unlicenced betting platforms, stressing that many operators lure users with promises of better odds and guaranteed returns while exposing them to fraud and financial crime.
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