Family members have gambling debts; don't rush to pay them for them: Gambling debts are not protected by law, and money borrowed for gambling does not count as common marital debt

No monetary cost. The difficulty lies in resisting the urge to pay when creditors come to your door or family members beg you with tears. If the creditor actually files a lawsuit, you must respond to the litigation.

The notice from the Supreme People's Court in 2017 year specifies four points. Debts incurred by one party in illegal or criminal activities, such as gambling or drug use, are not protected by law. If a creditor knew or should have known that the money was being borrowed for gambling or drug use and still lent it, it is not protected by law. If one party borrows money in their own name to engage in illegal or criminal activities, the court will not support their request to treat it as common marital debt. Without a formal trial procedure, the party who did not borrow the money cannot be required to bear civil liability (Nationwide, starting from 2017 year).

最高人民法院 (2017). 关于依法妥善审理涉及夫妻债务案件有关问题的通知（法〔2017〕48 号，第二、四条）. https://www.court.gov.cn/fabu/xiangqing/36982.html

This grade is assigned because the notice is an internal court directive with no quantifiable data, and proving creditor awareness requires separate evidence. Issued under the previous Marriage Law, its application under the Civil Code for determining joint marital debts is covered in Section 10, Article 12 (large loans taken by a spouse). Even if creditors have no knowledge of the funds being used for gambling, the borrower alone remains responsible for repayment. To prove the money was used for gambling, you’ll need bank transfer records, gambling platform logs, or police case files — keep these documents on hand. If a lawsuit is filed, ordinary first-instance proceedings must conclude within 6 months, with extensions permitted, while simplified procedures require 3 months. Each party pays their own legal fees, with no obligation for the losing side to cover the other’s costs. For creditors harassing or detaining you, refer to Section 9, Article 15 (debt collection rules) and call the police immediately. If the borrower is in such a desperate state they’re considering suicide, contact the crisis hotline at 12356 as noted in Section 1, Article 37 (gambling-related distress). The main beneficiaries of these protections are spouses and immediate family members.