During the summer vacation period, the risk of minors staying at e-sports hotels has significantly increased. To practically protect the physical and mental health of minors and strictly prevent internet addiction, the Qingdao Municipal Cultural Market Comprehensive Law Enforcement Bureau has launched a city-wide special inspection campaign targeting e-sports hotels, aiming to safeguard the healthy growth of minors throughout the summer.
This special inspection focuses on the summer holiday as a key period, with priority given to e-sports hotels located in commercial complexes, areas near schools, and residential neighborhoods. The enforcement approach combines spot checks with surprise nighttime inspections. Officers are verifying whether business premises have clearly displayed the "No Minors Allowed" sign in a prominent location, whether they are illegally permitting minors to enter e-sports gaming rooms, and whether they are strictly implementing a real-name registration system. They are also checking if a routine inspection system is in place and if inspections are properly recorded, comprehensively identifying management loopholes and potential risks.
As of now, a total of 50 law enforcement personnel have been deployed to inspect 23 e-sports hotels. One case of illegally admitting minors has been filed for investigation, and seven instances of failing to properly display the "No Minors Allowed" sign have been discovered, all of which have been ordered to be rectified. During the inspections, officers have emphasized both enforcement and legal education, explaining relevant laws and regulations to business operators. They clarified that e-sports gaming rooms in hotels are classified as areas unsuitable for minors and are strictly prohibited from admitting minors, even when accompanied by a guardian. Business operators are urged to take full responsibility for protecting minors and to clearly indicate in a prominent manner on all channels—from online platform promotions and booking to check-in—that e-sports gaming rooms do not accept minors, thereby reducing disputes and compliance risks from the source.
Regarding the acceptance of minors in non-e-sports areas of e-sports hotels, officers are focusing on urging operators to strictly comply with the "Five Must-Dos" requirements for the hotel industry. Looking ahead, the Qingdao Municipal Cultural Market Comprehensive Law Enforcement Bureau will continue to strengthen its efforts to protect minors in e-sports hotels. It will further enhance coordination with public security and market supervision departments, establish a robust mechanism for information sharing, case referral, and joint enforcement operations, and form a unified regulatory force. The bureau will also leverage smart supervision tools to improve the precision and effectiveness of enforcement, while intensifying legal education to guide business operators in lawful and standardized operations, collectively creating a clean, healthy, and safe summer cultural environment for minors.