China has launched a new campaign to combat unauthorized use of virtual private networks (VPN), the primary method by which Chinese punters access international online gambling sites.

On Sunday, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued a notice commemorating the start of a 14-month long program to “clean up” the nation’s internet connections, which were described as showing “signs of disordered development that require urgent regulation and governance.”

The clean-up will require government approval of all special cable and VPN services, rendering any non-registered VPN services illegal. The government’s missive specifically references the need to control “illegal cross-border business issues,’ including “telecommunication business operation activities.”

With the exception of the state-run welfare and sports lotteries, China bans all forms of gambling on the mainland. Chinese bettors who wish to wager on sporting events or play live-dealer baccarat routinely employ VPNs to access internationally licensed online gambling sites.