Gaming-related crimes in Macau rise 110% in H1

Macau registered 422 gaming-related crimes in the first half of the year.

Macau.- The Office of the Secretary for Security of Macau has reported that gaming-related crimes rose 110 per cent year-on-year during the first half of the year to 422 cases. That compares to 198 cases in H1 2022.

Case of theft rose over 4 times to 77 cases, while there was a 120 per cent increase in misappropriation, a 75 per cent increase in fraud and a 55 per cent increase in usury. The rise is logical considering Covid-19 restrictions in previous years, and numbers are still down 50 per cent against 2019.

Some 8,124 illicit bet-money changers were detected, an increase of 200 per cent, and 488 have been notified that they will be prohibited from entering casinos.

During a press conference, Macau’s secretary of security, Wong Sio Chak said the implementation of the new Gaming Law appeared to have had no significant impact on social security. He also saw no discernible increase in gaming-related crimes due to the increase in unemployment and said that no triad organisations or members were found to be associated with the gaming industry in the first half based on available information.