Recently, the Notice on Regulating Lawful and Compliant Operation of Game and Amusement Entertainment Venues was issued to strengthen supervision of game and amusement entertainment venues. The full text is as follows. Notice on Regulating Lawful and Compliant Operation of Game and Amusement Entertainment Venues — To all operating units and owners of game and amusement entertainment venues: To further regulate the operating order of the game and amusement entertainment market, to crack down on business activities using game and amusement equipment that contains prohibited content (such as obscenity, gambling or violence) or that has not passed content review by the culture and tourism administrative department or whose content has been substantially altered without authorization, to effectively protect the physical and mental health of minors, and to maintain social harmony and stability, in accordance with the Regulations on the Administration of Entertainment Venues, the Measures for the Administration of Entertainment Venues, the Measures for the Administration of Game and Amusement Equipment and other relevant laws, regulations and rules, the following notice is hereby issued on strengthening supervision:
1. Operate strictly in accordance with the law; unlicensed operation is strictly prohibited. All units and individuals engaged in game and amusement entertainment business must lawfully obtain the relevant permits, such as an Entertainment Operation Permit and a Business License, and may operate only with complete documents. One permit used for multiple venues, mismatched permits, or permit/address inconsistency is strictly prohibited; changes of address, legal representative or business scope require re-approval and filing. Where game and amusement equipment is set up in other venues (such as cinemas, supermarkets and malls) for business, the operator’s real name and valid contact information must be displayed in a prominent position on the equipment, and a filing must be made with the county-level culture and tourism administrative department at the venue location before operating. Unlicensed operation, operation with expired permits, and operating beyond the licensed scope are strictly prohibited; renting, lending, transferring, forging or altering operating permits is strictly prohibited. Establishing game and amusement entertainment venues within 200 meters of primary and secondary school campuses is strictly prohibited.
2. Strict equipment management; illegal gambling-type machines are strictly prohibited. Game and amusement venues and other operating venues must use equipment that has passed content review by the culture and tourism administrative department and bears the “electronic identifier for game and amusement equipment.” Equipment containing prohibited content under Article 13 of the Regulations on the Administration of Entertainment Venues, or not reviewed or substantially altered without authorization, is strictly prohibited. Equipment with betting-points, point-return, coin-return or steel-ball-return functions, or multiplier-type “small stake, big win” gambling functions — directly or in disguised form — is strictly prohibited. For prize business activities using game and amusement equipment, the prize catalog and related information must be filed with the local county-level culture and tourism administrative department; where physical rewards are provided probabilistically, the probability range must be clearly displayed in a prominent position on the front of the machine. Equipment ledgers must be established so that sources are traceable and destinations trackable; equipment programs, appearance and functions must not be altered without authorization.
3. Strictly protect minors and regulate admission. Except on national statutory holidays, electronic game equipment in game and amusement venues and other operating venues must not be provided to minors. Signs reading “Minors prohibited (except statutory holidays)” must be posted at conspicuous locations such as entrances and electronic game areas, and the signs must include a reporting hotline.
4. Regulate business conduct and venue management. Business hours must be strictly observed; no operation is allowed from 2:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. daily. Fire safety, electricity use, emergency lighting and clear evacuation routes must be ensured, with fire-fighting equipment provided and hazards regularly checked; a compliant video surveillance system must be installed, with footage retained for no less than 30 days. Venues must establish employee rosters and business logs as required, with logs retained for 60 days. During business hours, employees must wear uniforms and work badges.
5. Strict law enforcement and severe punishment of violations. The municipal cultural-market comprehensive administrative law-enforcement detachment will, together with relevant departments, strengthen supervision. Violations — unlicensed operation, providing electronic game services to minors outside statutory holidays, or using equipment with prohibited content or unreviewed/unauthorized-altered content — will be subject to administrative penalties including warnings, fines, confiscation of illegal gains, suspension for rectification, and even license revocation; those suspected of crimes will be transferred to judicial authorities for criminal liability. In accordance with credit-management rules for the culture and tourism market, joint disciplinary action for dishonesty will be applied to seriously unlawful and dishonest entities.