Macau sees rise in gaming-related crime in Q1
The rise was partly attributed to new legislation, which criminalises unlicensed money exchange for gambling purposes.
Macau.- The Judiciary Police (PJ) in Macau has reported that gaming-related crimes rose by 61.5 per cent year-on-year to 567 in the first quarter of the year. The rise was partly attributed to the new legislation criminalising illicit money exchange, which entered into force in October. The PJ said there were 132 cases of illegal currency exchange for gambling, accounting for over 60 per cent of the year-on-year increase.
Police said they solved 157 cases relating to money exchange, which involved 251 arrests. The number of arrests was actually down by 80.6 per cent from 1,292 people in the same period in 2024.
Government Information Bureau (GCS).
The PJ also recorded 152 fraud cases, up 100 per cent in year-on-year terms. Fraud accounted for 26.8 per cent of cases recorded in the first quarter. Other offences included usury (51), theft (46) and violations of casino exclusion orders (21). In total, the PJ initiated 3,289 criminal investigations, a decrease of 260 compared to the same period in 2024.
