Macau Sees Sharp Rise in Gaming-Related Crime as New Law Expands Statistical Scope

Macau recorded a significant rise in gaming-related crime during the first three quarters of 2025, with police logging 1,737 cases, a year-on-year increase of 70.1 percent from the 1,021 cases reported over the same period in 2024. The figures were announced on December 12 by Secretary for Security Chan Tsz King.

Chan said the steep increase was mainly the result of changes in how gaming-related crimes are counted following the introduction of new anti-illegal gambling legislation, rather than a genuine worsening of public safety. He explained that the Anti-Illegal Gambling Crime Law, which came into force in October 2024, created a new criminal offense covering the operation of illegal currency exchange for gambling purposes. This change led police to broaden the scope of what is classified as gaming-related crime.

Under the previous framework, fraud cases involving illegal money exchangers operating outside casinos were often excluded from gaming crime statistics because authorities could not conclusively prove their connection to gambling activities. With such conduct now explicitly criminalized, all related cases are included in gaming-related crime data, pushing the overall figures higher.

Despite the surge in gaming-related cases, Chan emphasized that Macau’s general public security situation remains stable. Overall criminal cases fell by 7.1 percent year-on-year to 10,058 between January and September. Categories including violent crime, theft, robbery, fraud, and computer-related offenses all recorded declines over the same period.

Serious violent crime remained particularly low. Police recorded 187 serious violent cases in the first three quarters of 2025, marking an 11 percent decrease compared with a year earlier. Incidents of kidnapping, homicide, and serious assault continued to register either zero or minimal numbers. During criminal investigations and enforcement operations, police detained 4,475 individuals, an increase of 8.8 percent from 2024.

Chan also responded to concerns surrounding satellite casinos, which under the Gaming Law must either shut down or adjust their operating models by the end of 2025. He said law enforcement agencies have intensified intelligence collection and risk assessments to prevent any potential negative effects on public order, adding that no suspicious situations have been detected so far.

The secretary further pointed to progress in tackling telecom and cyber fraud. Cases involving telephone scams, online fraud, and computer fraud dropped by 45, 285, and 275 cases respectively. However, he cautioned that fraud tactics continue to evolve, particularly with the use of artificial intelligence deepfake technology, which emerged in Macau for the first time in late April 2025. Although the three reported deepfake-related cases resulted in no financial losses, Chan urged the public to remain vigilant.

At the same press conference, Chan revealed that by November authorities had confirmed 11 Macau residents had traveled abroad to participate in illegal activities, including telecom fraud. Two of those individuals traveled to Cambodia and have since returned safely to Macau. The remaining nine traveled to Taiwan, where they were detained for criminal offenses, with five still serving prison sentences. Chan noted that most of those involved were young people, including one minor.

By fLEXI tEAM