Macau Prosecutor Calls for Legal Reform to Strengthen Crackdown on Illegal Currency Exchange

Macau’s Prosecutor General, Tong Hio Fong, has called for changes to the legal framework governing illegal currency exchange linked to gambling, warning that difficulties in proving suspects are operating a business are undermining the effectiveness of enforcement.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2026/2027 judicial year on Thursday, Tong said prosecutors and police face a significant evidentiary hurdle under the current law. Authorities must establish not only that an individual conducted currency exchange without the required authorization, but also that the activity had the characteristics of an ongoing business.

That second requirement can be particularly difficult to demonstrate when police arrest suspected illegal money changers near casinos. In many cases, officers uncover only a single apparent exchange transaction, with insufficient independent evidence to establish that the suspect was engaged in a continuing, profit-making operation.

Tong said the difficulty of proving the commercial nature of the activity weakens the authorities’ ability to prosecute the offence effectively. He proposed reviewing the legal elements of the crime, including the introduction of objective criteria for determining whether an activity constitutes a business or the establishment of legal presumptions that would help address the evidentiary gap.

The proposal reflects a broader challenge for Macau as authorities seek to curb informal currency-exchange networks operating around the city's casinos, where such services can be connected to gambling-related financial flows.

Illegal currency-exchange cases rise by 20.2%

Statistics presented for the September 2025 to August 2026 judicial year showed that the Public Prosecutions Office opened 493 cases involving the operation of illegal currency exchange for gambling purposes, up 20.2 percent from 410 cases in the preceding judicial year.

The offence ranked eighth among crime categories by the number of cases opened during the reporting period, underscoring the continuing enforcement burden associated with unauthorized money-changing activities.

The figures indicate that the commonly known practice of informal currency exchange remains active despite stronger efforts to investigate and prosecute those involved.

Macau criminalized the operation of unauthorized currency-exchange businesses for gambling purposes under its Law to Combat Crimes of Illegal Gambling, which took effect on October 29, 2024. The offence carries a maximum prison sentence of five years.

Under the existing framework, however, proving that an exchange took place without authorization is not sufficient by itself. Prosecutors must also establish the business element of the offence, creating difficulties when a suspect is caught during what appears to be an isolated transaction and investigators cannot obtain additional objective evidence of repeated activity or commercial operation.

Tong's proposed review would seek to clarify how the business element should be established in practice. Objective standards could provide investigators and prosecutors with more consistent criteria for assessing suspected operations, while legal presumptions could potentially make it easier to establish the relevant circumstances when direct evidence is limited.

He also urged the authorities to maintain strong enforcement against illegal currency exchange and reminded residents and visitors, particularly tourists, to exchange money through authorized channels. The appeal was aimed at reducing opportunities for criminal activity while helping protect Macau's public security and financial order.

By fLEXI tEAM