Macau gaming-related crime up 12pct in Jan-Sept, led by fraud, unlicensed money exchange

The number of gaming-related crimes reported in Macau rose 12.3 percent year-on-year to an aggregate of 1,951 cases during the first nine months of this year, led by double-digit percent increase in cases of fraud and unlicensed money exchange for gambling purposes. That is according to the latest statistics released by the city’s Office of the Secretary for Security. Fraud remained the top category of gaming-related crime by volume in the first nine months of this year. In the period, the police logged 558 gaming-related fraud cases, representing about 28.6 percent of all gaming-related crimes reported. The January to September tally of gaming-related fraud cases increased by 21.3 percent year-on-year. Unlicensed money exchange for gambling purposes – criminalised since October 2024 – accounted for 404 cases in the first nine months of this year, ranking second for prominence among Macau’s gaming-related crimes. The number of such cases was up 11.9 percent year-on-year. Cases involving illegal lending for gambling purposes totalled 132 in the first nine months of this year, a decrease of 12.6 percent year-on-year. This category is classified by Macau’s security authorities as a “serious” crime affecting public safety. The latest update from the office also made reference to Macau’s Judiciary Police uncovering in late July a suspected crime operation allegedly run by some security personnel from a Cotai casino, said to have profited from detecting wrongdoers on the premises and then offering not to report them to the police if those suspects paid up in cash. Investigation into the case was subsequently followed up by Macau’s Public Prosecution Office. A total of five defendants – including the alleged ringleader of the operation – had been placed in pre-trial detention, said the prosecution office in a September 5 update.