Increase in gaming-related crimes is normal, Security Chief says

Criminal activity relating to the gaming industry has increased 122.2% year-on-year in the first quarter (Q1) of this year, compared to the same period in 2023, according to a report from the Secretariat for Security.

Secretary for Security, Wong Sio Chak, downplayed the increase, stating that it was expected due to the recovery of the tourism industry and the significant influx of visitors to Macau during this period.

Wong highlighted that, although the number of cases appeared to grow significantly (from 193 to 351), it is still lower than figures recorded in 2019.

According to the figure stated at the press conference from the security officials yesterday morning, the 2024 figure is 19.9% lower (87 fewer cases) than in 2019.

“The number of gambling-related crime cases in the first quarter of this year showed a certain increase compared to the same period last year, and the reason is believed to be related to the substantial increase in the number of tourists and the recovery of the gaming industry,” the Secretary said. He added that, as he had mentioned earlier in the main crime statistics report, 2024 figures are slightly inflated due to the base of comparison. Full resumption of border crossings only occurred in February, affecting the comparison between the two periods.

“According to data from the Statistics and Census Service, the number of tourists who visited Macau in the first quarter of 2024 exceeded 8.8 million, approximately 1.8 times the same period last year,” he said. Given the influx of tourists, the rise in crime should be considered in context.

Wong also noted a change in the typology of gaming-related crimes, with scams (particularly those related to illegal currency exchange activities) comprising 21.7% of the total.

He also noted that traditional crimes such as usury and kidnapping have decreased, with usury cases now amounting to less than half of 2019 (down from 128 to 63) and kidnapping cases now representing only 2.8% of all the crimes related to this industry (down from 81 to 10). RM