Gambling regulation in Macau: new law likely to get final reading this month

Under the new bill, unlicensed foreign currency exchange tied to gambling will be considered a criminal matter if done as a trade activity.

Macau.- Chan Chak Mo, the head of the Second Standing Committee, has said that the proposed Law on Combating Illegal Gambling Crimes is likely to have its second and final reading at a plenary session of the legislative assembly this month. At a press conference on Thursday (October 10). Chak Mo also gave details on the scope of the bill, saying it would criminalise unauthorised currency exchange when carried out for gambling purposes regardless of whether it occurs inside or outside casinos.

The intent to criminalise illegal money exchange was announced in August. Any gambling-related foreign exchange activity that could be considered part of a business operation could fall under its provisions.

Chan said police would need to obtain evidence, such as testimony from the unlicensed currency trader or the client of the illicit money exchange trader, to prove that a transaction is for gambling. Those found guilty could face up to five years in prison and a ban from Macau casinos for two to 10 years . The Macau government has frequently cited unlicensed currency exchange as a public security concern, associating it with violence and fraud.

The draft legislation, intended to replace the existing Illegal Gambling Law (Law 8/96/m), passed its initial reading at the Legislative Assembly of Macau in February. The bill also proposes a ban on the operation, promotion, and organisation of online gambling and mutual betting irrespective of the physical location of associated systems and devices within Macau. It would also introduce provisions enabling searches of residences from 9pm to 7am and restricting detainee communication before judicial interrogation.

In September, the Office of the Secretary for Security in Macau reported that gaming-related crimes rose 61.8 per cent year-on-year to 683 in the first half of the year. The figure remained 29.4 per cent lower than in 2019. 

Authorities attributed the rise to the increase in visitor traffic and the recovery of the gaming industry. Cumulatively, Macau received nearly 19.75 million visitors in the first seven months of the year. The figure was up by 37.1 per cent compared to the same period last year. 

Casino-related scams accounted for 23.3 per cent of cases, with 159 instances. That’s an increase of 67.4 per cent in year-on-year terms. Among these cases, 82 instances involved currency exchange, reflecting a 90.7 per cent rise.