Police have reported that the face value of fake gaming chips in the first quarter of the year was higher than the entire face value of chips detected in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Macau.- Authorities have released Macau’s crime statistics report for the first quarter\u00a0<\/strong>of the year, reporting\u00a049 scams related to the gaming sector<\/strong>. Of those, 27 were related to money exchange activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Police also reported a\u00a0rise in the value of fake gaming chips\u00a0<\/strong>detected, from HKD1.51m last year, to nearly HKD2m (US$257,582) in the first quarter of 2021 alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\u00a0low volume of fake gaming chips recorded in 2020\u00a0<\/strong>was due to temporary closures and travel resrictions caused by Covid-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the first quarter of 2021, police detected 50 fraudulent gaming chips in the gaming sector <\/strong>with a face value of HKD10,000 and 15 fake gaming chips with a face value of HKD100,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Macau police did not identify the venues\u00a0<\/strong>where the chips were used or attempted to be used.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n In May, the\u00a0Macau government<\/a>\u00a0confirmed that Adriano Marques Ho will continue as\u00a0Director of Macau\u2019s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ)\u00a0<\/strong>for two more years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Marques Ho has responsibility for investigating and penalising any administrative infractions<\/strong>\u00a0according to the appropriate legislation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ho will also analyse\u00a0Macau\u2019s gaming licence criteria<\/a>\u00a0and gaming laws as\u00a0Macau\u2019s current casino licences are due to expire in June 2022<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Legislator Ella Lei Cheng I has said that legislators are suggesting the government conduct an assessment on how Macau\u2019s gaming sector companies<\/a> have exercised their contracts<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to local media, government officials listened to legislators\u2019 suggestions on changes to the licence criteria <\/strong>to include requirements for operators to invest in the diversification of Macau\u2019s economy.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In April, a report entitled \u201cThe case of Covid-19 and Macao\u2019s destination- and gambling-dependent economy<\/strong>\u201d, argued that\u00a0Macau should turn to online gambling and technology<\/a>\u00a0to help its recovery from the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMacau legislators want an assessment of current gaming licensees<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n