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Following three years of legal battles, a Thai court of appeals has upheld an extradition order against an alleged ‘Chinese gambling kingpin.’
According to the Bangkok Post, a 43-year-old Chinese man, named She Zhijiang, who also holds a Cambodian passport, was arrested back in August 2022 by Thai police. The arrest was on an international warrant and an Interpol red notice, which is reported to have been requested by Beijing, who had accused the the Yatai International Holdings Group chairman of running illegal online gambling operations.

เปิดเหตุผล ศาลอุทธรณ์พิพากษายืน ส่ง ‘เสอจื้อเจียง’ กลับจีน ยันไม่ใช่คดีการเมือง#มติชนออนไลน์ pic.twitter.com/jI9FHP0TiL
— Matichon Online (@MatichonOnline) November 10, 2025

It was then in May 2024 when the Thai criminal court first ordered his extradition to China, but the man’s legal team appealed the decision. At the time, it was argued by the lawyers that the order had breached the law but the Thai Constitutional Court found that the extradition order was lawful last month. As of January 2025, he was still in detention in prison in Thailand.
Chinese man has been accused of running illegal online gambling operations
She Zhijian’s company, Yatai International Holdings Group, was registered in Hong Kong but is actually based in Thailand. He’s been on the run since 2012, after slipping away from Chinese authorities. A couple of years later, in 2014, a court in China’s Shandong province convicted him of operating an illegal online lottery in the Philippines that targeted Chinese users and reportedly pulled in about $298 million in profits.
By 2015, he had shifted his focus to Cambodia, where he reportedly got involved in helping Chinese gamblers front-load bets in Cambodian casinos, an activity that’s considered illegal. From there, he expanded into the Philippines and bought one of Manila’s biggest spa and entertainment centers. In January 2017, he obtained Cambodian citizenship and changed his name to Tang Kriang Kai, something that’s possible for anyone who donates at least $250,000 to the Cambodian government.
Between early 2018 and early 2021, he allegedly worked with others to set up gambling companies and recruit around 330,000 gamblers, earning more than $22 million through gambling scams.
Now, fast forward to November 2025, the lengthy saga appears to be nearing an end as the local report says the man will be extradited to China. It’s believed that the Thai Appeal Court came to the decision on November 6, with the verdict later relayed to the defendant. The report quotes a Thai prosecutor’s statement, which says it’s there – in China – that the person is to stand trial for allegedly operating illegal casinos.
The alleged offences include the founding and operation of 239 gambling websites, and he is also accused of building and running two casinos in Myanmar. However, the individual continues to deny any wrongdoing and says the case is politically motivated and based on alleged offences dating back to 2011, his lawyer, Sanya Eadjongdee, told Reuters.
With the order having now been given, the government agencies in Thailand will have 90 days to coordinate the extradition and make it happen. Although, it’s not yet known when exactly the movement will occur.
Featured Image: NTD AP TV via YouTube
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Rachel Reeves, the UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, is set to raise the General Betting Duty from 15% to 30% in her Autumn Budget later this month.
Amid this, a report by the country’s Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has stated that European countries with a higher tax on gambling and gaming markets are likely to see a surge in black market activity.
In the UK, 5% of all online betting and gaming takes place on unlicensed black market websites. This has risen from 3.3% in 2021.
Higher tax rates are also impacting France, Sweden and the Netherlands, which all have over 30% of online betting taking place on the black market.
“Britain has one of the safest gambling markets in Europe but if the Treasury isn’t careful, we could quickly end up like France or Sweden, with huge black markets contributing nothing in tax, offering zero player protection, and providing no funding for sport or the economy,” said Grainne Hurst, CEO of the Betting and Gaming Council.
“Well-balanced regulation and fair taxes protect players, raise more revenue for the Treasury, and support thousands of jobs. Unlicensed operators do none of those things.”
This rise has seen several gaming markets in those countries moving offshore, something that could happen in the UK.
More UK gambling firms could move offshore amid tax rise
In comments sent to ReadWrite, Chief Gaming Officer at Casino.org, Alexander Korsager, offered his perspective on the potential tax rise in the UK: “We fully support the gambling industry’s contribution to the UK economy, but we have serious concerns about the potential exodus of companies seeking more tax-friendly markets.
“Countries like Malta and Gibraltar, with significantly lower tax rates (often around 1% to 5%), have become attractive alternatives for many operators. In contrast, the UK currently pays 21%, which could double in the budget announcement later this month.”
Last week, however, a report was published by the Treasury Committee stating that the government must not bow down to the scaremongering from the gambling industry.
This report came amid the industry claiming that Gambling causes “no social ills”, while going on to examine how forays into black market gambling can be avoided.
“Online betting games are extracting huge amounts of money from people who have been funnelled into the most addictive, harmful corners of the industry via their love of sports, or the occasional game of bingo,” said a comment from the chair.
“We are urging the Government not to cave in to industry scaremongering and to tax online betting games at a rate that reflects the level of harm they inflict.”
Featured image: Grok
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Bulgaria is planning to increase the gambling tax from 20% to 25%, with the increase for operators taking effect on January 1, 2026.
Following an update to the Medium-Term Budget Forecast (2026-2028), the amendment to the Gambling Act will see a 5% increase in licence fees for operators. This will apply to online betting operators, lotteries, raffles, toto, keno and bingo.
This 5% rise is expected to bring in around €32 million ($37 million) extra revenue for Bulgaria, and the measure will be aiming to “generate extra income for the national budget” from 2026 onwards.
Under the current act, operators pay a fee of BGN 300,000 ($153,000), with an added 20% charge on the difference between winnings paid and bets staked. Online operators pay a slightly higher fixed rate of BGN 400,000, but the 20% charge remains the same.
With Bulgaria announcing this rise in gambling tax, is the UK about to do the same?
Will the UK follow Bulgaria in raising gambling taxes?
The UK budget is set for November 26, and it appears as though Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachael Reeves, is expected to overhaul the gambling taxes.
Reeves has suggested that the General Betting Duty on sports betting could rise to 30% from its current figure of 15%. This excludes horse racing, however.
It looked as though horse racing was going to face the same tax hike, but Reeves decided that bets on the sport would not face the upcoming duty increases, preferring to focus on online casinos instead.
While the proposed duty would raise £4 billion ($5 billion) in revenue, it could have catastrophic effects on jobs within the gambling industry.
Betfred announced that all 1,287 of its shops could close if the government increases the gambling tax to 30%.
Fred Done, founder of Betfred, stated that tax rises were the “biggest threat” to the gambling industry since he set up the bookmaker nearly 60 years ago.
Featured image: Krit-Raimmy from Getty Images via Canva
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PrizePicks has announced a multi-year partnership with Polymarket that will let the US based sports entertainment company offer event contracts through Polymarket’s upcoming prediction platform. According to both companies, the integration will give PrizePicks users access to markets on sports, entertainment and cultural events right inside the PrizePicks app.
The deal comes as Polymarket gets ready for what it has called its expected return to the US market. That return is now uncertain, with reports saying it could be delayed because of technical issues linked to a possible federal government shutdown.
The relaunch would put Polymarket back into a regulatory landscape that has become more tense in recent months. Other companies offering event based contracts, including Kalshi and Robinhood, are facing lawsuits in several states claiming they are essentially offering unlicensed sports betting, a characterization that prediction market operators reject.
Polymarket and PrizePicks partnership ‘will create greater competition’
PrizePicks CEO Mike Ybarra said the partnership is meant to expand what the company can offer. “As the No. 1 daily fantasy sports operator in the U.S., PrizePicks is thrilled to partner with Polymarket, a trailblazer in the prediction space, to open up new experiences for our millions of existing members and introduce our platform to millions of new customers,” Ybarra said.
“By entering the U.S. predictions market, PrizePicks will create greater competition, drive innovation and deliver even more value directly to members. Together with Polymarket, we’ll continue to focus on product, innovation, and exceeding our customers’ expectations.”
Polymarket founder and CEO Shayne Coplan described the partnership as a move toward making prediction markets more mainstream in the United States. “PrizePicks has built one of the nation’s most exciting sports communities, and we are excited to help bring prediction markets into that world,” Coplan said.
“As we prepare to return to the U.S., this partnership shows how prediction markets can enhance fandom while setting a new standard for interactive, regulated sports engagement.”
Polymarket has brought in as much as $2 billion in investment from Intercontinental Exchange and has bought QCEX, a CFTC licensed exchange and clearinghouse. The company has said these moves are part of its push to align with US regulatory expectations. PrizePicks, for its part, recently became the first sports entertainment operator to register as a Futures Commission Merchant with the National Futures Association, which lets it offer CFTC approved derivatives through federally regulated exchanges.
Both companies say their partnership will let customers use event contract products within a regulated framework, something that has drawn growing interest from state and federal officials. PrizePicks also pointed to its ongoing compliance work, including its 2025 iCAP accreditation from the National Council on Problem Gambling, which it says makes it the first fantasy sports operator to receive that certification.
Featured image: PrizePicks / Polymarket
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Bally’s Corporation has posted its Q3 financial results, with revenue having climbed further as the casino segment thrives amongst other markets.
The company, which operates 19 casinos across 11 states along with online sports betting operations, reported revenue of $663.7 million, which represents an increase of 5.4% year over year.
The Casino and Resorts revenue, however, saw a major 12.1% rise year over year, amounting to $396.1 million. Within the report, the gambling-based company highlighted that its casinos which operate in a stable competitive environment outpaced market revenue growth in the third quarter.
The Adjusted EBITDAR results were particularly strong at the properties in Vicksburg, Kansas City, and the Queen Baton Rouge, where the 2023 landside relocation is said to be continuing to drive market share gains. The completion of the landside conversion of Bally’s Baton Rouge (formerly Belle of Baton Rouge) is expected in the fourth quarter.
In the same quarter, the UK market has seen success with online revenue growing 8.0%. The ‘continued strength’ in the UK operations is said to be driven by strong player monetization and additional revenue-driving initiatives like the launch of a sports betting offering. The International Interactive revenue declined 6.9% to $215.1 million, but this was said to be solely due to the divestiture of the Asia interactive business in 2024.
What is to come for Bally’s Corporation in the future?
Bally’s has a number of projects upcoming, with the CEO Robeson Reeves, providing an update: “Domestically, construction remains in full swing at our permanent gaming and entertainment destination resort in Chicago.
“The resort – the only casino within Chicago’s city limits, will feature approximately 3,400 slots, over 170 table games, a 500-room hotel tower, a 3,000-seat theater, various food and beverage venues and a river-side public park.”
In September, the Bally’s Bronx Community Advisory Committee approved an application for a proposed $4 billion casino which will see a 16-acre integrated resort with around 3,500 slot machines and 250 table games, a 500-room hotel and a 2,000-person event center. “This proposal represents the largest private investment in the borough’s history, with the potential to generate meaningful economic benefits and significant job creation in the community,” the CEO said.
“Bally’s is now one of three remaining applicants for up to three downstate New York state gaming licenses with a decision anticipated by year’s end. We are both excited for, and committed to, the opportunity to serve the Bronx community.”
The company has also recently unveiled plans to develop Bally’s Las Vegas on the former Tropicana site, sharing a 35-acre campus with the Las Vegas Athletics. However, little was mentioned about its prospects as the city faces a tourism slump.
Featured Image: Bally’s Las Vegas rendering courtesy of Marnell Companies
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