Gaming Casino suspicious transaction alerts rise 8.7% in H1 amid tighter scrutiny

Macau’s gaming concessionaires reported 2,018 suspicious transactions in the first half of the year, an 8.7% increase from the same period in 2025, according to official data released by the Financial Intelligence Office of the Unitary Police (GIF).

The gaming sector was responsible for nearly three-quarters of all reports received by the GIF during the period, contributing to a broader 9.5% rise in total suspicious transaction filings. The office identified the increased volume of submissions from casino operators as the primary factor behind the overall increase.

According to statistics posted on Tuesday, between January and June, the GIF received 2,753 reports in total. Of these, 73.3% came from casino concessionaires, 19.1% from banks and insurance companies, and the remaining 7.6% from other institutions and entities.

Under the city’s reporting requirements, designated sectors, including pawnshops, jewelry shops, real estate agencies, and auction houses, are obliged to notify authorities of any transaction reaching or exceeding MOP500,000.

The threshold is designed to capture high-value movements that may warrant further examination, though the law does not imply that all such transactions are inherently suspicious.

In 2025, the GIF recorded 4,925 suspicious transaction reports, marking a 6.1% decline from the previous year, when the region registered its highest-ever annual total.

The latest half-year figures suggest a renewed upward trend, driven largely by the gaming sector’s increased reporting activity amid continued regulatory vigilance over the city’s financial flows.