Gaming Crime Surge in Macau Linked to Unlicensed Money Exchange

In the first five months of the current year, Macau has witnessed a significant uptick in gaming-related criminal activities, as observed by the Judiciary Police. They reported a 62.9% surge in these crimes when compared to the same timeframe in the previous year. Leading the increase were incidents associated with unlicensed money exchange linked to gambling, as highlighted by Sit Chong Meng, the director of the Judiciary Police, during a media briefing held on Friday. A total of 943 such criminal cases were investigated from January to May, out of which 204 cases, comprising 21.6% of the total, were directly related to unlicensed money exchange for gambling purposes.

Law Enforcement Actions and Legal Framework

The director further noted a substantial rise in gaming-related fraud cases, with 251 cases being inspected over the same period, marking a 93.1% increase from the prior year. This surge is largely attributable to the enactment of the "Law to Combat Crimes of Illegal Gambling," which came into effect on October 29 of the previous year. The law categorizes unlicensed money exchange for gambling as a criminal offense. During the Friday briefing, Sit Chong Meng elaborated that from October last year to May this year, the Judiciary Police made arrests of 481 individuals linked to 323 suspected cases of gaming-related unlicensed money exchange activities.

Regulatory Impact and Penalties

Macau's Secretary for Security, Wong Sio Chak, acknowledged during a press event at the end of May that the new legislation had proven "effective" in combating gaming-related unlicensed money exchange. According to article 11 of the law, any form of money-changing activities aimed at trade – both within and outside casinos – can attract criminal prosecution by Macau's authorities. Per the new law, violators who are found guilty could face up to five years in prison. Additionally, there is also a stipulation for this offense that includes a ban from entering Macau casinos, ranging from a period of two to ten years.

Source: Unlicensed money exchange drove Macau gaming-crime stats in Jan-May period: police, GGRAsia, July 11, 2025.

Posted by Wizard
Jul 14 2025