Macau legislature set to vote on tougher illegal gambling law

Macau’s Legislative Assembly (AL) is poised to vote on a new law aimed at cracking down on illegal gambling activities, following the conclusion of discussions by the AL’s second standing committee. The proposed legislation, which tightens regulations and imposes harsher penalties, will be presented for a final vote later this month.

The bill introduces stricter enforcement measures, including the ability for law enforcement to conduct nighttime searches and deploy undercover operations to investigate illicit gambling. "The bill aims to enhance punitive measures for illegal gambling," said Chan Chak Mo, chairman of the AL’s second standing committee.

A key provision of the bill is its focus on unauthorized currency exchange operations linked to gambling, which will now be classified as criminal offenses. This targets street-level money exchanges and those within amusement parks that facilitate gambling activities. Authorities believe these operations often serve mainland Chinese gamblers attempting to bypass strict capital controls.

“The government’s stance has changed due to a worsening situation,” Chan explained, noting that earlier versions of the bill did not criminalize illegal currency exchanges. Now, the focus is on curbing these operations tied to broader criminal activities, including money laundering.

While the law introduces stringent measures, it excludes personal lending between friends for gambling purposes. It is not targeting individuals who lend money to friends, but rather organized crime rings.