OKX Imposes 15-Day AML Reviews on Gambling-Linked Deposits

OKX founder and CEO Star Xu said the exchange is intensifying its actions against crypto deposits linked to gambling. Funds from high-risk wallets may now trigger anti-money laundering (AML) checks that can last 15 days or more.

During the review period, account functions and assets could be restricted. Xu added that if a user's activity is confirmed as illegal, OKX will terminate their access entirely.

AML Review Focuses on Channels Linked to Gambling

Xu posted his remarks on X earlier on Wednesday, replying to a user question about how OKX handles betting platforms that send funds directly into exchange wallets.

欧易遇到这种情况怎么办呢，买球平台直接提到交易所的钱包。

– ry (@ryqor8)

Xu pointed to transactions tied to so-called "guaranteed" escrow services run via Telegram groups, as well as a network he called Huiwang. Huiwang is the pinyin name for Huione Guarantee. That Telegram marketplace had processed over $27 billion in transactions before regulators moved against it in 2025.

According to reports on Chinese-language money laundering networks, successor platforms such as Tudou Guarantee have since absorbed much of that volume.

“Funds obtained through channels including but not limited to guaranteed transactions in TG groups, Huiwang and its variants, etc., may carry higher source-of-funds risks.”

– Star Xu,

After US authorities targeted the Huione Guarantee marketplace last year, OKX flagged wallets connected to it for compliance checks.

At that time, OKX said it could freeze assets or deactivate accounts confirmed to be linked to the network. In October 2025, the US Treasury's FinCEN cut off the network's access to the US financial system.

Part of a Broader Compliance Effort

This move follows a CertiK finding that AML enforcement now outranks securities cases as crypto's top regulatory risk. OKX itself paid over $500 million in AML-related penalties in the US last year.

Xu has also acknowledged that a small percentage of legitimate users are caught by the platform's fraud checks. In July 2025, OKX faced public backlash after users reported accounts frozen due to false fraud flags.

从高风险地址向 OKX 充值，可能触发更严格的反洗钱和风险审查。根据具体情况，审查可能持续 15 天甚至更久，账户部分功能以及资金也可能受到限制；对于确认涉及高风险或非法活动的账户，我们可能终止服务。包括但不限于通过TG…

– Star_OKX (@star_okx)

It will soon become clear whether the new 15-day review window reduces illicit inflows without catching more legitimate depositors.