PANews reported on November 19 that according to Bloomberg, crypto mining company BIT Mining Ltd. (formerly 500.com Limited) was accused by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of bribing Japanese officials to bid for casino resort projects and agreed to pay a $4 million fine to reach a settlement. According to the SEC, the company paid $2.5 million in cash and gift bribes between 2017 and 2019, including bribes to Japanese members of parliament.

The U.S. Department of Justice said BIT Mining will also pay a $10 million criminal fine, of which $4 million will be offset by a fine paid to the SEC. 500.com recorded bribes with false consulting contracts and management consulting fees to cover up illegal activities, and company executives, including the then CEO, were accused of directly participating in directing and covering up this illegal behavior.