Hike in illegal gambling cases related to illicit currency exchange, PJ clarifies

The increase in cases related to “Illegal Gambling” reported late last week by the Secretary for Security, Chan Tsz King, is not directly associated with illegal betting or any gaming activity inside or outside the casinos, the Judiciary Police (PJ) clarified in response to an inquiry from the Times.

In the report on crime in Macau between January and September this year, the number of cases under the “Illegal Gaming” category increased by 985%, rising from 40 in the same period in 2024 to 434 this year.

The PJ clarified in a written response to the Times that the rise is related to cases of illicit currency exchange, meaning instances where individuals were found offering currency exchange to casino patrons, both inside and outside casino venues.

The PJ further explained that these cases are counted under this category “because the ‘Law on Illegal Gambling Activities,’ which came into effect in October 2024, added the crime of ‘illegal currency exchange for gambling.’”

According to the same response, “The police have initiated 361 related cases in the first three quarters of 2025, which is the primary reason for the significant rise in the figure.”

The force further explained that the “Illegal Gambling” category refers to crimes regulated under Law No. 20/2024, the Law on Illegal Gambling Activities.

However, for statistical purposes, the crime of “illegal money lending for gambling purposes” under Article 10 of the same law is not included, as it falls under Article 219, “Usury,” of the Penal Code.

They also remarked that, according to Article 7 of the ‘Law on Illegal Gambling Activities,’ “The operation of online games of chance or mutual betting” is expressly and autonomously stipulated as a criminal offense for the act of operating, promoting, or organizing, without authorization, online games of chance or online betting in Macau.

The Secretary for Security also noted that, in relation to illegal currency exchange, there were 136 fraud cases attributable to this practice, a figure that has fallen significantly compared with 2024, when 363 cases of scams related to illicit currency exchange were detected during the same period.

In the past, this practice was considered one of the main challenges for police forces, as there was no clear legal framework to address it effectively, and it was reportedly a leading cause of homicides in Macau in previous years due to disputes arising from these transactions.