Gambling-linked crimes rise sharply in Macau following legal amendments | Gambling Insider

Fraud cases lead as police target underground currency exchange operations.

Key points:

– 567 gambling-related investigations in Q1 2025, up over 60%

– 132 cases involved illegal currency exchange for gambling

– Over 80% of both suspects and victims were non-residents

As reported by Macao Daily, Macau recorded 567 gambling-related criminal investigations in the first quarter of 2025, reflecting a rise of more than 60% compared to the same period last year. According to Security Secretary Wong Sio Chak, the increase is largely attributed to the introduction of the Law on Combating Unlawful Gambling Crimes, which came into effect in late October 2024.

The legislation introduced a specific offence for illegal currency exchange connected to gambling activities. This new offence alone accounted for 132 cases in the first quarter, representing more than 60% of all new gambling-related investigations.

Authorities also noted that police reporting standards had been revised to include a broader range of offences under the gambling category. In addition, cross-border cooperation between Macau and Guangdong led to the dismantling of several criminal groups, further contributing to the statistics.

Fraud topped the list of offences, with 152 cases making up 26% of the total, followed by illegal currency exchange (132 cases), usury (51), theft (46), misappropriation (38), and unauthorised casino entry (21). Other categories each accounted for less than three percent of the total.

Good to know: Aside from fraud, most major categories of gambling-related crimes declined year-on-year.

Of the 679 individuals suspected of involvement, only 119 were Macau residents.

Non-residents made up more than 80% of both suspects and the 333 reported victims.

Officials observed no trend of localisation and pledged to maintain close surveillance of future developments.