Casino self-exclusion requests hit record high in 2025

Macau recorded a sharp rise in casino self-exclusion applications in 2025, with the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) receiving a total of 952 requests, the highest annual figure since the system was introduced in 2012.

The total represents a year-on-year increase of nearly 68%.

Official data show that 828 of the applications, or about 87%, were submitted voluntarily by gamblers seeking to bar themselves from entering casinos, while the remaining 124 were filed by third parties, including family members.

Both categories reached new annual records.

Applications were relatively evenly distributed throughout the year, with a notable rise in the third quarter. In the final three months alone, the DICJ processed 236 requests, including 210 self-exclusion cases.

The upward trend follows a record year in 2024, when the bureau received 567 applications, up 14.8% from 2023. Since the exclusion law took effect on November 1, 2012, the DICJ has handled 5,789 requests in total, with self-exclusions accounting for roughly 87%.

Under current legislation, individuals may be barred from entering all or specific casinos for up to two years, either at their own request or following applications submitted by close relatives. LV