Macau detected 1,372 gaming-related crimes in 2021
The Office of the Secretary for Security in Macau reported 23.2 per cent more gaming-related crimes in 2021 compared to 2020.
Macau.- Authorities in Macau have shared crime statistics for the year 2021, revealing that the city recorded 1,372 gaming-related crimes. The figure was up 23.2 per cent from the 1,114 cases identified in 2020.
Authorities said an increase in tourists after the lifting of Covid-19 countermeasures was a factor in the rise in gaming-related crime. The Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) has recently reported that Macau received 7.971m tourists in 2021, up 30.7 per cent year-on-year.
Authorities said that while the number of gaming-related crimes increased overall, two specific types of serious crimes have decreased. In 2021, only 71 gambling-related usury cases were reported. Police also investigated and dealt with 27 cases of illegal detention involving loan sharks. Authorities had dealt with 32 cases in 2020.
Last November, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) praised Macau’s casino operators’ assistance in the fight against gaming-related crime, particularly the use of fake banknotes.
