Responsible gambling promotion campaign launched in Macau
The Social Welfare Bureau has reported a rise in awareness of playing responsibly.
Macau.- A six-month responsible gambling promotion campaign has launched in Macau. At a launch event at Studio City, Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) president Wilson Hon reported a decrease in the number of residents gambling and an increase in awareness of responsible gambling.
The Macau Daily Times reports that Hon reaffirmed the government’s efforts to promote responsible gaming, including integrating financial literacy programmes in schools and providing certification and training for social workers and gaming employers. He mentioned the installation of responsible gambling information kiosks in entertainment venues, 24/7 hotline and online counseling availability, and the enforcement of the self-exclusion system.
IAS stated Macau conducts a survey every three years to assess residents’ gambling habits and awareness. According to the news report, figures showed that the amount of residents involved in gambling decreased from 59.2 per cent in 2007 to 30.1 per cent in 2022. Awareness of responsible gambling increased from 16.2 per cent in 2009 to 64.9 per cent in 2023.
In the second quarter of 2025, the central registration system for gambling disorder cases recorded 94 assistance cases, a slight decline from the same period in 2024. The first half of 2024 saw approximately 1,200 requests for online counseling.
Macau’s Financial Intelligence Office reports a decrease in gaming-related suspicious transactions
The Financial Intelligence Office (FIO) recently reported that casino operators filed 1,856 Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) in the first half of 2025, a decrease of 14.9 per cent year-on-year. Gaming accounted for 73.8 per cent of all STRs. The figure compares with 2,181 STRs reports in the same period of 2024.
Suspicious transaction reports across all sectors totalled 2,515 in the reported period, down 12.6 per cent from 2,879 in the first half of 2024. Financial institutions and insurance companies submitted 500 reports, representing 19.9 per cent of the total. Other institutions filed 159 reports, representing 6.3 per cent.
