Macau: suspicious gaming transaction reports up 125% in H1

Suspicious transaction reports from Macau’s gaming operators totalled 1,392 in the first six months of the year.

Macau.- Macau’s Financial Intelligence Office (GIF) has reported that 1,904 suspicious transaction reports (STR) were filed by Macau financial entities and gaming operators in the first half of the year. That’s a rise of 59.9 per cent year-on-year.

There were 1,392 reports related to gambling, up 125 per cent from 618 in the same period of 2022. The increase aligns with Macau’s reopening to tourism in January, which attracted more gamblers to the city.

The gaming sector accounted for 73.1 per cent of STRs reported, while the financial sector contributed only 19.6 per cent with 373 reports (down 13 per cent). STRs from other institutions totalled 139, down by five.

Last year, the number of suspicious transactions fell from 2,435 to 2,199 with 53.5 per cent of reports related to gaming operators (down 9.7 per cent compared to 2021).