Case Study: Illegal Gambling App Development and Legal Consequences for Programmers

In September 2020, a resident of Pinghu, Zhejiang reported a loss of nearly 200,000 CNY from online stock trading fraud, prompting the local police to launch an investigation.

The investigation revealed that the victim's phone contained a gambling app that was also a fraud tool, leading authorities to trace the software to a Shenzhen cultural technology company.

This company, operating a criminal gang, had developed more than 50 gambling apps within two years, selling each for up to 80,000 CNY and illegally earning a total of 5 million CNY.

The apps were designed to allow initial winnings, followed by continuous losses and withdrawal restrictions, attracting buyers who used them for gambling or further scams.

In addition to selling the apps, the company offered full‑service maintenance and after‑sales support, knowingly facilitating illegal activities.

On December 3, police arrested nine suspects, including the company's founder, and froze the company's assets; the case remains under further investigation.

The article warns programmers that providing technical assistance to illegal software constitutes a crime under the offense of assisting network information crimes, emphasizing the importance of recognizing legal “red lines.”